Three
by Yuna Yami Mouto
Summary: Sarada, Boruto and Mitsuki one day are assigned by Konohamaru to write a report about a great ninja they wanted to become like. Little did they know that they would meet some of the greatest ninja the world has ever seen in the process!


**Three**

 **Summary: Sarada, Boruto and Mitsuki one day are assigned by Konohamaru to write a report about a great ninja they wanted to become like. Little did they know that they would meet some of the greatest ninja the world has ever seen in the process!**

"I told you to put that there," a pale, albino like man with permanently activated Sharingan eyes glared as he pointed to a certain part of the big cave they were using as a hideout. The little, child like versions of this same man scattered around, doing as they were ordered and replacing the big meteorite to the other side of the cave. The man, the self proclaimed Uchiha Shin, watched them with apathetic eyes but when those same eyes landed on the meteorite, he couldn't help but to grow excited.

It had taken him months, _years_ to find this space rock. He had barely found it but here it was. Pink and glowing with special, swirling chakra that was not of this world. He had learned of this rock and it's special properties from one of the numerous scrolls his creator, Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin, had acquired and seemed to have completely forgotten about. It was a very unique type of chakra that radiated from it. The scroll said it was supposedly somewhere within, of course, Hoshigakure's territory, hidden in a cave by the first generation of chakra users so it cannot be misused. It's power was great and amazing, giving one the ability to tear apart the very fabric of time, space and reality if that is what one desires to do.

And that made it absolutely perfect for what Shin was going to use it for.

"Hurry up! The moon is almost aligned with the sun! The eclipse is almost upon us!" The self-proclaimed Uchiha yelled the orders around, even stepping down to help out in the process of preparing for the jutsu. This was a once in a life opportunity. The rock lost power whenever it came into contact with anything of the Earth, which was one of the reasons it had been hidden away, so that it's power would remain for cases of emergencies. However, the rock will have its power flared only twice if it came in contact with the almost lack of light from the eclipse or the light from the full, wolf moon. As luck would have it, both things are to occur in the next forty eight hours. However, Shin wasn't going to risk it by waiting for the wolf moon to reach the highest point in the sky since he didn't know if the jutsu he found will work the first time around. So he made sure that he could try twice with this eclipse. "It's almost time!"

The little clones scattered around, running away from the meteorite as the light started reaching for the pink space rock. The meteorite's chakra flared like the scroll said it would and most of them had to cover their eyes in order not to go blind. Shin resisted to do so and instead started making the hand seals necessary for this jutsu, using his Sharingan to keep track of all the changes occurring in the meteorite's chakra as he weaved the seals. The clones ran further away as a hole appeared in the air, indeed looking like the reality had been ripped apart. Shin approached it carefully, his hands stilled in the seal for the monkey and watched as time seemed to blur before his very eyes. He knew he had to request for a certain time period to be shown to him and he knew he had a limited amount of time to finish this jutsu before the eclipse stopped. But he could only stare for a long moment until one of his clones tugged at the sleeve of his Akatsuki cloak. He blinked back into focus and placed both of his hands on either side of the opened hole, making as though to open the window of time.

"Show me the time Uchiha Itachi entered his prime!" He commanded with authority as he 'opened' the 'window'. A sucking force suddenly tried to pull them all in but Shin held strong and his clones used chakra suction at the soles of his feet to prevent himself from being sucked in. The blur of time slowed down a bit before coming into focus. Shin grew excited when he saw the face of Uchiha Itachi being hidden behind an ANBU mask. Yes, this was definitely it. This was the moment in which the legend of Sharingan no Itachi began and this was the perfect moment for him to snatch up the boy, before he was used by the village or he catches that damned illness that had taken his life.

Shin walked closer to the portal and reached out, watching as his hand fluidly went through the window of time, his pale blue appendage heading straight towards the Uchiha genius as he adjusted the vest of his ANBU uniform. He grinned a mad looking grin and thrust his hand forwards with the speed of a striking snake, startling the boy as he grabbed his forearm and he _yanked_. Itachi let out a yell as he was dragged away from his own time and through what looked like a colorful version of the black hole, shielding his eyes when it suddenly became too bright for him to see. Shin cursed when his own eyes were endangered by the light as the boy was dragged inch by inch into the future.

Shin saw that he was going to lose his prey unless he did something. They were losing ground so Shina knew there was only one thing left to do. He put his hands together and started waving seals at a great speed until he was done and the last hand seal stopped at tiger. ''Sanshoku no jutsu!'' The light, if possible, became brighter but when Shin grabbed onto Itachi again, he had no problem dragging the child through the portal. Shin was about to start rejoicing when two more forms suddenly fell out of the window, overbalancing him and all four of them fell straight to the floor as the portal swiftly closed with a shattering sound. Shin groaned in pain from underneath the three young bodies and blinked blearily as he felt a kunai pressed against his throat.

Sharingan eyes, fully matured and very much deadly, met his gaze as Uchiha Itachi stood over him, a thunderous scowl on his face. Shin could do nothing but stare up at his handiwork as the child genius took in the situation he has found himself in, surrounded by dozens and dozens of Shin's clones with very little weaponry on himself in an unknown location that appeared to be a cave.

''Uh, what happened?'' A young voice asked behind the legendary Uchiha and Shin was forced to take his eyes off of his idol to look behind the ANBU, startled to see two other boys about the same size there, one dressed in a simple white suit of clothing with green trimmings and a hood with bright blond hair and startlingly blue eyes, tanned and very handsome for a child. The other wore a black T-shirt with white stripes in the middle of the sleeves, additional sleeves over his arms, metal arm protectors, leather straps around his back and chest, and dark pants, had a mask in place over half of his face and his left eye was covered by his leaf hitai-ate. His hair was silver and he was a lot paler than the other child.

Not that Shin cared about either of this rug-rats. He had only wanted Uchiha Itachi, who was pinning him down with frightening ease for such a small frame and young body. He was dressed in the standard ANBU uniform complete with arm guards, a flak jacket, and a porcelain mask which was fashioned to resemble a weasel with a red, triangular marking on top strapped to the side of his head so his face was visible.

''M-Minato-sensei?'' The silver haired one asked in a surprised voice and the blond turned to look at him in confusion as to why that title was given to him when he was so extremely young. Itachi looked up, either because he recognized the voice of the speaker or because of the name being spoken and Shin ordered his clones to attack, he himself lunging for Itachi. But the Sharingan registered him even when not directed at him and the Uchiha leaped out of the way with the ease and grace of wind, throwing the kunai straight at Shin. Shin tried to avoid it, but he had forgotten that shurikenjutsu was Itachi's specialty and that the boy knew how to manipulate his weapons long after they'd be throw, which is why he wasn't expecting for Itachi to have attached a string to the kunai, nor was he expecting for the kunai to come back around and make a deep cut in his throat.

''Run!'' The raven haired child ordered, the other two making no move to disobey him when they saw in what kind of trouble they were.

''Seal the cave!'' Shin yelled as best as he could with his throat cut and bleeding. The clones made to do as ordered but the blond now identified as Minato took out one kunai and grabbed his two companions before they all disappeared in a flash of yellow just as the cave was sealed off. Recognizing the legendary move, Shin released a snarl before he had to stop moving due to his injury. Damn it, he had underestimated him when he had _sworn_ he'd never do that to his idol, his _god_! ''What are you all waiting around here for!?'' He screamed at his followers while he started healing himself. ''Go after them and bring me back Uchiha Itachi!''

The little white people quickly rushed out of the cave, doing their best to try and locate the three children they had summoned from the past, but they were long gone and their means of travel left no traces to follow. Still, if one thought logically, one could conclude that there was only one place Uchiha Itachi would go if he found himself in such a strange situation at his age. So the clones stopped their fruitless searching and instead changed course for Konoha, intent on finding the Uchiha before he alerted anyone of his presence.

00000

Meanwhile, a different set of three children were getting the lecture of a lifetime, not a good thing for one Uzumaki Boruto, one Uchiha Sarada and Mitsuki. One might wonder what the three have done to deserve such a lecture by their usually lenient sensei, Sarutobi Konohamaru. Well, it went something like this.

Team 7, also known as Team Konohamaru, had met up early for a good training session before they were to embark on their three day mission in Suna's territory. By now, they were more or less very familiar with each other and openly talked about their opinions on different matters. Sure, Sarada and Boruto often bumped heads about most of the topics but they were close friends, very much like their fathers were. Their mothers often joked that it was an Uchiha/Uzumaki tradition to act like enemies but to actually be the closest of friends, seeing as their husbands have went through the same when they were their age. Still there were topics in which they simply couldn't find any common ground on. A great example of that is the topic that had lead to the above mentioned lecture.

You see, Sarada was a lot like her father, very proud of her clan despite it being dwindled to only her and said father. Boruto, on the other hand, had a lot of Naruto's brashness but he was arrogant all on his own. Still, while he will never openly admit it, he has a deep sense of respect for his father and he believes him to be the greatest shinobi ever. Sarada, while a big fan of her precious Nanadaime-sama herself, also believed that her own father, Uchiha Sasuke, was the greatest ninja ever. When they asked Mitsuki to be the judge of this, he said he didn't think either of them was oh that great, as powerful shinobi as they were, but believed his own ''father'', Orochimaru, to be still a greater shinobi than either of them, reasoning that a person who had almost reached immortality and had played god well enough to create him was obviously still superior.

Their little debate had proceeded to grow until they started drawing attention from passing by villagers and ninja alike, until Konohamaru came and heard the way they were throwing around such a title as though it was rice at a wedding. He had had enough of it when Boruto said his father as a Hokage was obviously the best, Sarada saying that without the Kyuubi her father could easily defeat Naruto and Mitsuki saying that his own father had repeatedly defeated the both of them and ignoring all counter remarks that they eventually near killed him both, so he made three shadow clones and took each of his students by both of their ears and dragged them into the library, loaded them with history books and gave them an assignment to write a fifteen page report about a shinobi they find in the books that are not their fathers.

Boruto, of course, immediately protested the treatment but Konohamaru had threatened to drop their mission if they didn't do it by the day they are to leave, which is the day after tomorrow. They didn't protest the assignment anymore but Sarada still asked the very good question of why. Which had, of course, started the lecture which seemed to finally be coming to an end.

''There were a lot of powerful and skilled shinobi before any of your fathers were born and some even after them.'' Konohmaru was telling them at this moment. ''Some are famous for their good deeds, some for their bad. In fact, I can name at least ten shinobi who would have been very hard to defeat even by armies, maybe even more than ten and your fathers defeated them either with help or through some stroke of luck. Do you even know the names of those shinobi?''

''Of course!'' Sarada quickly said with a smile. ''The Hokages!''

Konohamaru smiled a very sad smile at her for some reason. ''Sure, the Hokages were great. I particularly always imagined my Jii-chan to be unbeatable, but even he fell in battle. Well, I can name you at least three shinobi that never fell in battle.''

''Really?'' Boruto asked curiously. ''Who are they?''

Konohamaru tsked at them. ''No way. One of them is one of the greatest shinobi ever. I am not giving you an answer as to whom you can write about, And each of your reports has to be about a different person.'' Boruto and Sarada pouted at this but Mitsuki just nodded gravely. ''Well, off you go now.'' He said before popping out of existence, leaving the three preteens with their books in the blond's living room to do their boring reports. Boruto scowled at the air.

''Tch. I bet there are no better ninjas than our parents.'' He grumbled but still sat down on his couch to do his report, opening the first book on the pile and going through the names but none stuck out to him any more than any other name in the world. ''This is going to be so troublesome.''

''You've been spending too much time with Shikadai.'' Sarada chided even s she, too, sighed from the boring task. She looked up when she saw Mitsuki put away the third book in a row, a frown marring his face. ''What's wrong, Mitsuki? You can't have read those books already!''

The albino just shook his head. ''I already know who I want to write about. I just can't seem to find his name.'' He answered, looking through a fourth book with a disappointed sigh. Not there, either.

''Oh?'' The raven haired girl asked with a tilt of her head, studying her friend. ''Who is it?''

''Not telling.'' Mitsuki replied. ''You'd want to take him instead.''

''No way.'' She replied. ''I'm going to do a Hokage.''

''He was Hokage level, too.'' Mitsuki mumbled to himself. ''Or so Orochimaru used to talk about him. Very powerful.''

''Well,'' Boruto said sarcastically. ''It's nice to know you two at least know who you're doing while I haven't the foggiest.'' He sighed, already tired of this. "All I know is that I want to do someone who's still alive and not some dead guy."

"You really ought to learn to better express yourself, Boruto." Sarada chided with a scowl. "Because that just sounded plain wrong."

Boruto only rolled his eyes at his friend and went to retort, only to yelp when the couch suddenly was invaded by a yellow flash and something fell on the opposite side from the one he was sitting on. The new, sudden added weight made the couch act pretty much like a catapult, sending Boruto flying overhead until he landed by the entrance into the living room, his bum hurting from the fall. As soon as he recovered from the rather ungraceful and uncool flight, Boruto jumped to his feet, coming to stand with two kunai in hand by his teammates, who had drawn their own weapons as soon as the blond had ricocheted off of the couch.

In front of them, a mirroring team stood ready with their own weapons drawn, blond on blond, raven on raven and two seemingly albino boys facing off against each other. The new trio in the Uzumaki household consisted of an ANBU dressed pale, black haired boy with a katana, a tanned blond boy with two strange looking kunai dressed in a plain jumpsuit and a strangely dressed silver haired boy with a mask covering half of his face, also with a sword and a kunai in hand. Sarada had activated her Sharingan as soon as she had grabbed her weapons and Mitsuki had called upon his sage skills while Boruto got ready to possibly preform the Rasengan, the three genin all the while staring at the intruders in their home.

"Boruto, what's that noise?" Himawari, Boruto's younger sister, called from up stairs and he looked up, ready to call out to her that their home was being invaded and that her Byakugan would be of great use but the raven haired boy had seen an opening and used this offered golden opportunity.

"Scatter!" He ordered his companions and the two didn't hesitate a second to follow his orders, the blond vanishing in another flash of yellow, the silver haired one putting his hands together and quickly weaving hand seals before disappearing in a whirlwind of leaves and the raven haired boy reached up to pull a white and red, porcelain weasel ANBU mask over his face before bursting into a flock of crows that then flew out of the open window before the three genin could react.

"After them!" Boruto yelled, jumping through the window and trying to follow the birds' flight but they soon dispersed all around the village and there was nothing to follow. He glared from atop the rooftop of the neighboring house as his two teammates joined him. "What the hell was that?"

"They looked younger than us." Sarada mumbled to herself, still surprised with the speed all three boys possessed. The blond in particular had been surprising, vanishing before even her Sharingan could catch his movement. The raven had been just as impressive. She hadn't even _seen_ him making hand seals! The silver haired one was also pretty quick, his hands mostly a blur. She had maybe seen two hand seals in his hasty weaving. "How did they learn such teleportation jutsus so young? Usually, only chuunin and above are allowed to use them, since there is a danger in losing control of the jutsu and limbs being torn or displaced."

"It's not so unusual for there to be chuunin of our age." Mitsuki pointed out logically, also still looking out at where the crows had disappeared to. He couldn't see any one of them anymore and the other two boys were long since gone.

"Yeah, but that was during war and before the Alliance." Sarada retorted, fixing her glasses as she looked back to the albino. "Did either of you get a good look at them?" They just shook their heads and the kunoichi sighed. "Me neither."

"They were older than Himawari and I'm absolutely certain two of them were guys." Boruto said, scratching his head in thought. "The third one is a little iffy, since they had long hair."

"Yeah, hair that would make most girls jealous." The Uchiha muttered to herself. "And that blond had a really good tan. Do you think he works on that or is it natural, like Chocho's?"

Both boys gave her a bland look. "Do I _look_ like a tanning expert to you?" Was all the Uzumaki said and Sarada glared at her teammates but Mitsuki broke in before those two could start one of their infamous bickering matches.

"We should spread out and find them." He pointed towards East, then West and then towards the South, the only three entrances into the village. "Boruto, you go East, Sarada will go West and I will check South. We'll meet by the tea shop in an hour if we don't find them."

"Shouldn't we tell Konohamaru-sensei?" The girl wondered and both boys shook their heads no, but for very different reasons. Boruto wanted to seem like a hero when he captures the three obvious intruders (no one dresses like _that_ around here) and presents them to his father while Mitsuki was ... honestly fascinated and very curious about the three. He had noticed their style of dress, too, and that ANBU uniform was outdated by at the very least a decade. Why would a child be dressed in that? Where would they even _get_ the uniform? "So, what? We just wander around the village looking for them?"

"We can't very well leave them unattended." The blue eyed boy pointed out, already turning to head East. "See you guys in an hour!" He called before running off in his appointed direction. Sarada turned to try and reason with Mitsuki but he just smiled and also disappeared. Sighing and resigning herself to her fate, Sarada turned West and ran off.

Back in the Uzumaki living room, one Uzumaki Hyuuga Himawari was perplexed by the amount of books she found in the living room, along with the lack of her brother and his teammates. She could gave sworn they had been there just a couple of minutes ago.

00000

Namikaze Minato blinked as he found himself before an old dojo that had looked brand new just this morning, when he had left it with Fugaku and Kushina after Jiraiya took them there for some taijutsu training with the masters there. He frowned at the building. It looked worn down and had a sign that stated it was no longer safe for use in fear of the roof collapsing. He still braved entering it, wondering if these past few hours were just a strange joke Kushina was playing. She _did_ love her pranks very much. Minato could appreciate a good prank, too, but this was turning out to be a bit too much, if you asked him.

The blond entered the rundown building and saw that it looked as though no one had been in here for years. He frowned again before going into a separate room, finding that it, too, is in poor shape before sighing and turning to leave. He prepared one of his Flying Thunder God Kunai before exiting the rundown building, moving around the streets of the village that was his own but not at the same time. He could only look around, studying all the ways the village had changed. It was, of course, much, _much_ bigger than his own was just an hour ago. The houses were bigger, more colorful. Everyone was cheerful and loud, no one fearing a possible attack. It was as though the war was over ... Minato thought that it would have been beautiful, had he not seen just what ninjas have become these days. How can anyone call themselves a serious ninja when they dress themselves in such bright colors that would mark them as moving targets? How can anyone be a ninja if they react so slowly to a possible invasion attack?

The ninja he saw around him didn't look any more promising than the three he had seen when they had landed in his apartment ... And just _why_ were those ninja there, anyway? One of them had obviously been an Uchiha. He had seen her Sharingan. But Fugaku had never been caught off guard quite like that, nor had he ever allowed Minato to use his Flying Thunder God twice if he managed to use it the first time. The other kid felt a little too much like Orochimaru-san for Minato to feel comfortable and the third kid had some chakra similarities with both Kushina and Hiashi. If this was, by some strange turn of events, the future, then that boy was somehow related to them both, meaning he was possibly their child. And if Hiashi actually _had_ married Kushina, then Konoha wouldn't have remained standing. Those two were like a cat and dog. The only worse case scenario would be if Kushina and Fugaku had gotten married.

And he wasn't thinking this just because he was helplessly in love with Kushina. It was fact.

Pushing his thoughts away from Hyuugas and Uzumakis and Uchihas, Minato looked up at the new faces on the monument overlooking the village. In his time (if this really was the future) there were three. Yet now there were seven. One greatly resembled the silver haired boy he had landed with and one, to his own astonishment, looked like a sharper, more mature version of himself. Minato felt tempted to just stand there and gap at the Hokage Mountain but he knew he couldn't afford himself to fall into shock.

Especially not now, when he just felt the Uchiha girl land on the rooftop behind him. The blond whirled around, meeting her gaze just long enough to check if her eyes were mature enough to cast genjutsu - they hadn't seemed that way when he had glimpsed them - and when he saw only one tomoe, Minato knew he was safe. He took out a few shuriken and hurled them at her, running off while she dodged. He'd rather not fight here, not interact with these people if he were really in the future. He wanted to avoid interacting with these future generations, knowing that anything he learned here might change this peaceful place. But the girl was a true Uchiha and she ran after him, drawing the unwanted attention of the passing people as he dodged the first attack the girl made.

Sarada had not realized it would be this easy to find one of the boys. She had just been looking around, expecting to find nothing, until he had just stopped walking and stood there, looking up at the stone faces as Sarada was passing by. The blond looked to be dressed the worst out of the three. No one would be caught in those clothes in Konoha, Sarada thought as she tried to grab his arm and throw him over her shoulder, but he was strangely fast. She could still follow his movements but her Sharingan didn't allow her to be faster than him. He seemed to be the speedy type, easily maneuvering himself around her attacks and always seeming capable of jumping away fast enough when she tried to slash at him with her kunai. Deciding to try a more direct approach, Sarada channeled chakra into her fist and tried to pummel the blond into the ground.

But Minato had sensed it coming. He wasn't Kushina's teammate for nothing. He had seen her just before destroying something with a single punch enough times to know that he _had_ to dodge the attack, so he used his Flying Thunder God Jutsu again and teleported elsewhere, deciding the use of his characteristic technique to avoid getting any more attention was worth it in the long run. So he disappeared in a yellow flash, startling some of the older villagers and leaving Sarada to curse after him. She hoped her teammates had better luck. She hadn't exactly proved herself as an Uchiha as she had wanted. That kid was good. The way he had dodged ... It was obvious why he was already a ninja. He was at least two years younger than her and he had easily escaped from her, ending their fight without a single attack at Sarada. The meant he was either not a threat to the village or he was a spy, here only for information.

Well, at least she had learned _something_ about him.

She really hoped Boruto and Mitsuki were doing better.

00000

Mitsuki grunted as yet another hit landed, this one to his side, the other pale teen easily pivoting for another kick, but Mitsuki deterred this one by raising his arms over his chest and blocking the masked boy's foot. He twisted his arm around to try and get a grip of the other's foot but the silver haired boy whirled around again, just to punch Mitsuki in the cheek, sending him flying back several feet. The silver haired boy got back into a fighting stance and didn't wait for the genin to get his balance back, charging at him with two kunai in each hand.

Mitsuki had had no problem finding one of the boys that had barged into Boruto's home, although he had not found the boy he had been interested in. Instead of finding the ANBU, as he had hoped, he found the one with the cloth mask he wore, hiding half of his face from view. The stranger had not hesitated to attack as soon as he had sensed Mitsuki to be close enough. He was a ferocious one, almost as though he were fighting for his life. Mitsuki wondered if it was a good or a bad thing that he had found him in the deserted clearing of the monument for the shinobi that had died in the Third Great Shinobi World War. The adults would have reacted and taken the kid away instantly, leaving Mitsuki and his friends to remain curious as to what those three boys were doing in the _Hokage's_ apartment in the first place, but he would be detained. Mitsuki now knew there was no way he alone could bring the silver haired boy in. He was definitely a chuunin, if not more. He fought and planned like one, rare few of Mitsuki's hits actually landing.

Hatake Kakashi had gone to the one place he had thought he'd be able to relax for a short while, to gather his thoughts after he and the other two had split up. He had come to the same conclusion as Minato had - time travel - but he had honestly thought that he had gone into the past when his sensei was a kid. So he had went to the one place he visited the most often and it just so happened the perfect place to see if his theory was true. Turns out, he _did_ travel through time, but not into the past, but rather into the _future_! He had then come to the conclusion that Minato-sensei and that other boy were in the same predicament as he was. The ANBU dressed boy reminded him of someone greatly, what with that strangely unflappable manner, ash hair and large black eyes with really long eyelashes, but he couldn't remember of whom right now. He had bigger things to worry about, such as there being several _more_ monuments throughout this new Konoha, all dedicated to fallen heroes, on some of which the names of his friends were written. When he had seen the one with his sensei's name on it ...

Well, when the snake like boy had arrived, it was a throughly appreciated distraction from his future losses. His father, his best friends and now finding out his other close friends and his sensei were all going to die ... it was a bit too much for someone as emotionally stunted as Kakashi was. It kind of came with the territory of lacking a mother and being born in war time. Even if he hadn't lost as much as he did ...

He kind of hated this day. He had went out for a stroll late at night, hoping it would calm his mind enough that the nightmares he experiences every night won't come. He had been exhausted - still was - when he had suddenly been sucked into some strange portal, only to wined up in a cave with two other boys and a bunch of weirdos. Then Minato-sensei had transported them safely to his apartment, only to find three other strange children there, one looking like a cheap knockoff of Minato-sensei, one being an Uchiha and the one he was fighting now, the one that has an uncanny - and creepy as hell - resemblance to Orochimaru. He was very frustrated right now. Please excuse him if he wants to went a little!

When the other boy suddenly thrust his hands forwards and snakes emerged from his sleeves instead of human wrists and hands, Kakashi knew he had to get out of there. Using jutsus unsupervised within a shinobi village usually means that there is an enemy within the walls of the village and usually, ANBU or jonin are sent to check it out. Kakashi was tired and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold his own against a large group of attackers. Not in this state.

So he did the one thing he hated the most.

He ran.

Mitsuki tried following his opponent, but the silver haired, masked kid disappeared within the forest before he could reach him. The albino frowned at the trees, as though he were blaming them for the other's escape, before drawing into himself, thoughts deep and centered on all three boys they had encountered. He had been thinking about them even as he had searched the village. Something about them ... seemed _familiar_ , but if you asked him _what_ , Mitsuki would be unable to answer you. Whatever it was, he had a feeling it should be dead obvious.

He hoped his friends had more luck than he had.

00000

Uchiha Itachi casually sat at the top of a fence on a random rooftop that had a great view of Konoha, swinging his left foot lazily while his right leg was drawn up so he can lean his elbow on his knee as he watched the blond boy from before running around through the streets, very obviously looking for Itachi and the other two boys with him. Itachi actually found it a bit pathetic, how easily he tricked the eye of these passerby, ninja and civilian alike, with a simple but well placed genjutsu. The boy - or anyone around him, for that matter, seemed not to notice his presence at all and quite a few jonin, chuunin and ANBU had passed through there in the past few hours.

Itachi had not been idle or static since he had fled that apartment Namikaze Minato had transported him and Hatake Kakashi into while they fled from those strange people. He had strewn about his crows, sending them to scout out the village while Itachi avoided all the ninja and any random passerby. Upon realizing that the awareness of the village had long since completely dulled, Itachi stopped hiding and just remained in plain sight, observing everyone. They passed by and didn't seem to notice the difference between his ANBU uniform and the one the rest of the black ops agents were wearing.

Perhaps, Itachi had thought hopefully when such a possibility occurred to him, it had been so peaceful for so long that people no longer thought a threat could be walking among them? Itachi sure was hopeful, and he knew he was quite naive to think this way, especially for a supposed to be genius, but he couldn't help it. Peace is all he had ever wanted, since the day he was four and his father had taken him out into the battlefield of the Third Great Shinobi War. It is what he had promised himself he will always work towards, despite his soon to be calling.

He had noticed the changes in the village almost instantly. Even before they had left the room they had landed in, it had been obvious to him. Of course, it could be because he actually had the presence of mind to observe his surroundings while Kakashi-san and Minato-sama were busy staring at the other three kids they had landed right in front of. He had noticed their style of dress, the slightly different furniture, the far more advanced technology and even the calender on the far wall. His Sharingan had allowed him to perceive all of that in a matter of a couple of seconds so when he had realized those kids were planning on attacking them, Itachi had ordered the other two to run and they split up.

Now, as it was nearing dusk time, he still sat on this fence on a rooftop, watching over the village that had once been his home but was now unfamiliar to him despite him possibly now knowing its streets better than the people who lived here their whole lives, due to his crows sending him images as they flew overhead. He had watched them and pondered, noticing a very important fact that many people would probably overlook in the relatively short time he'd been observing Konoha.

There was a distinct lack of Konoha Police Force officers roaming around, when they should have been patrolling the streets. He should have seen at least ten officers by now, yet there was no one. He had not seen a single person with a red and while fan on their clothing, except that girl with the glasses, also an unheard thing among the Uchiha. He had never seen an Uchiha needing glasses. Actually, his clan liked to believe they were above such things, that they were so great that illnesses do not affect them, an arrogant view Itachi knew not to be true since he was three. That girl hadn't looked all that well trained, none of those kids had. They were tense before entering battle, something that could seriously hinder them in a serious fight and could cost them limbs or eyes or, worst of all, their lives. They had reacted far too slowly to Itachi, Kakashi and Minato popping into the room just like that. Sure, a person could argue that they had been startled and shocked, but that's what the element of surprise is used for. They should have felt Minato's rather impressive chakra reserves as soon as they had entered the room, yet they hadn't and had they been killers, those three kids would be dead right about now.

The war might be over, but if the ninja regime remained, then those kids should have been trained better. Peace or war, it didn't matter. At the end of the day, you survive on your own power and skill. Your friends might be there to help you, but you need to know how to defend yourself. It is a harsh reality, but reality and fact, none the less, that not always will someone be there for you or arrive at the last moment to save you. Itachi knew that all too perfectly. After all, no one had been there to save his genin team when that masked man had attacked them. None had been there to stop the ever rash Tenma from running straight one to man's katana.

And no one had been there to help Itachi defend the others, who had been knocked out because of a genjutsu. He had fought alone after seeing his first friend die right in front of his eyes.

Itachi believed in teamwork.

But he also believed in being able to fight on your own.

Most ninja apparently still thought either one way or the other. It always baffled Itachi that they can't see it how he does, but he guessed everyone was different. He knew that he shouldn't judge, and so he didn't.

Instead, he focused on the problem at hand: the lack of Uchihas in the village. Had something happened? Was there another war between his time and now? Were they exiled from the village? He had a hard time believing they were wiped out. Call it arrogance, if you will, but Itachi knew his clan would be tough to wipe out. Even if someone were to manage to catch them off guard or if they ended up being surrounded by enemies, the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan would have at least allowed half of the Clan to escape. All the possible fates of the Uchiha sent dread through his entire body, wondering what had happened to his parents, Shisui and his little brother Sasuke. The enemy must have been powerful. After all, that girl was the only person with Uchiha eyes and the Uchiha fan he had seen in the entire village-

He stopped his thought process short when his eyes undoubtedly caught sight of an Uchiha fan on a red dress, but it was definitely not the girl from earlier. No, it was a beautiful looking woman with pink hair that was so proudly wearing his clan's symbol. She had some features similar to the girl he had seen so he guessed this must be her mother. Of course, where there is a new Uchiha, there must be a mother that had given birth to them. But this woman ... She looked somewhat familiar. It was the strawberry pink hair ... No, it wasn't strawberry pink. It was as pink as sakura petals. That's right, there had been that girl, Haruno Sakura, in Sasuke's age group, if Itachi remembered correctly. He had seen her hanging around Sasuke before and had always thought her to have a crush on his darling little brother. And here she was, the mother of the only Uchiha Itachi had seen so far ...

Itachi's heart was suddenly tons and tons lighter. Whatever had happened, his brother was still alive, then, or had at least been long enough to have a child, which meant he had grown up, had lived ... Itachi had always just wanted his brother to have a happy and peaceful life, for him to never go through what Itachi was going through. It would seem he at least seemingly got his wish. Itachi still wanted to see the boy- the man, now, he guessed.

And he wanted to see what had happened to his clan, to his family and friends. But there was no way he was asking anyone from this time about any of that. In the time he had been observing the villagers, no one had so much as mentioned the Uchiha name and that should have been a clue big enough for Itachi to realize something was wrong even if he wasn't monitoring the entire village. The Uchiha had always been a favored gossip topic in Konoha and many other villages, ninja or not, too. Maybe these people didn't know? Or maybe so much time has passed since whatever happened that no one even paid it any attention anymore?

But even if people didn't know anything, there was one place where there would still be information.

So without hesitation, Itachi called back one of his crows, the one he always had with him, and they disappeared in the direction of the library.

If no one knew what happened, at the very least, there will be something in the books.

00000

Boruto was visibly in a very bad mood when they finally met up for their third meeting by the tea house they had agreed upon when they had set out to hunt for those three boys in the first place. Sarada and Mitsuki had not run into the other two boys again after that first time, but Boruto had not seen the third boy at all since he had run off. It had greatly wounded his pride that he was unable to find a single kid who was a couple of years younger than him while his other two teammate had even fought their targets. It made him seem incompetent and that angered him almost as much as the kid giving him a slip.

''What should we do now?'' Sarada asked of her two friends, tired from all the fruitless chasing around they had done. ''We've spent the entire day searching and we've ye to find any one of them. Actually, we can't find one _at all_.''

''He _did_ wear the ANBU uniform,'' Mitsuki pointed out, just as tired and just as frustrated as his teammates. ''Maybe he's really had the training?''

''No way. Dad wouldn't allow it for someone that young to join the black ops.'' Boruto shook his head, absolutely certain of this. His father still thought becoming a genin at twelve was too early for kids to become ninja; becoming an ANBU _before_ that? Naruto wouldn't allow it. ''Besides, I've seen ANBU agents a lot in my life; they protect my dad, after all. That uniform is _way_ outdated.''

''Have you guys ever noticed that the silver haired kid looked familiar? As thought we know him?'' Mitsuki wondered out loud, a frown marring his face. ''And I'm positive that blond looks like the Yondaime Hokage. Like, a kid version.''

''Mitsuki, now you're just talking nonsense.'' Sarada sighed, plopping down beside the snake boy. ''Time travel isn't possible.''

''Neither is traveling dimensions, but your dad can do it.'' He pointed out. ''Neither is housing giant beings of chakra inside a human, and yet Nanadaime-sama's doing it his whole life. Neither is coming back to life and Rokudaime-sama had been killed before the Fourth War but was revived. Neither is immortality, yet Shikamaru-san still goes into the woods to check that strange guy Hidan hand't somehow escaped from wherever he is keeping him imprisoned. Neither is manipulating nature, yet every shinobi does it with a little chakra. Neither is-''

''Okay, okay, I get it, we do a lot of crazy shit already. So maybe time travel is possible. Okay. _Now_ what do we do? That only makes the situation harder!''

''We should find out who they are, if they're really from the past.'' Boruto said, remembering the books they had been going through a few hours ago, before this chase had begun. ''See who they are, what they can do, and if they're still alive, we ought to bring in their older selves to take care of them.''

''Their clothes suggest they're not from the same time line, if we're seriously pursuing this theory.'' The Sharingan wielder pointed out. ''We'll have to check a lot of different books.''

''I think we should ask an adult.'' Mitsuki suggested. ''Preferably, someone with old Bingo Books. From different nations, if at all possible.''

''Why not just ask my old man?'' Boruto suggested with a shrug. Those things only pile up in his office, anyway. He wouldn't mind them looking through them, right? ''If he asks, we can even say it's for the assignment Konohamaru-nii-chan gave us.''

''That's actually not a bad idea!'' Sarada exclaimed excitedly, already jumping to her feet and turning in the direction of the Hokage Tower. The two boys were quick to follow her example and they ran towards the white and red building with the ''Fire'' symbol on it. When they arrived, no one tried to stop them and they easily made their way to Naruto's office, everyone already knowing that Team 7 was a special case and that they were always allowed within the Hokage's office so no one stopped them. Boruto didn't even bother with knocking and just flung the door open and barging in, but the people present in the office didn't even flinch. They had sensed them before they entered the building.

''Old man! Can we take a look at your old Bingo Books?''

The people present all arched their eyebrows at them and Boruto smiled a bit sheepishly at the rather unimpressed Sarutobi Konohamaru, Nara Shikamaru and Uchiha Sasuke while Uzumaki Naruto just chuckled at his son's antics.

''Hello, papa.'' Sarada greeted her father and Sasuke smiled at his daughter, letting her hug him and patting her head a bit awkwardly. Sasuke never did learn to accept physical display's of affection, especially in public. An Uchiha trait Sarada had actually not inherited at all.

''Weren't the books I gave you enough for your assignment?'' Konohamaru asked, crossing his arms and the three genin grinned a bit guiltily, hoping no one would notice. They did. ''What did you do?''

''Nothing!'' The three indignantly replied, frowning at their sensei accusingly for daring to suggest they had caused some mischief or something.

''We just wanted to see other strong people,'' Mitsuki argued calmly and logically. ''Some of the strongest ninja ever were either S-rank criminals or threats to other villages, like Kakashi-sama is. He's in the Bingo Book.''

''Or Yondaime-sama.'' Sarada pointed out. ''In Iwa, if my history is right, he was extremely feared. His picture was in the Bingo Book as a warning for the ninja to run as fast away as they could if they see him.'' Suddenly, the girl brightened. ''I know what Hokage I am going to do!''

''Great, now you two both know who you're going to do and I am still stumped.'' Boruto complained and the adults chuckled at their interactions.

''Well, I guess I see your point.'' Naruto said instead of Konohamaru, gesturing at the far right cabinet from his desk. ''I think this is a rally good lesson for you three. You should learn more about history, because we can learn from our past. You can't outrun it, no matter how fast you are. Not even A-sama had been able to do so, or my father, and they were the fastest men alive.''

Boruto ignored him and he and Mitsuki immediately went for the books, hoping they will easily find the pictures they needed of the kids. Sarada stayed to listen to the Nanadaime's words before joining her friends. A thought occurred to her and she looked over to her father, the resident genjutsu and teleportation expert among the four adults present.

''Papa, can you use crows to teleport?'' The blond and the raven stiffened as soon as they heard the question, both being taken back in time from when they were young and foolish. ''Papa?''

Sasuke snapped back to the present and nodded. ''Hai. Although they are most usually used for genjutsu.''

''But isn't the Sharingan supposed to see through genjutsu?'' She questioned again and Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

''It does, unless the genjutsu was cast by another Sharingan user. Then it's all about who has the stronger Sharingan and if they are equally matured, then it's all about who has better control of their abilities and who is more talented in genjutsu.''

''Can you use crows?'' The younger Uchiha asked again and was surprised when her father shook her head no.

''I don't have a contract with crows. Rare few people do. Two of your uncles did, while they were alive.''

''So teleportation with crows is possible?'' Boruto looked up from where he was looking over one of the Bingo Books.

''I've only seen one person do it before.'' Naruto answered this time, looking thoughtful. ''But he's kind of exceptional.'' Sasuke nodded in agreement. ''Why do you as-''

''Can you tell me all the ANBU that used to wear weasel masks?'' Mitsuiki's question left both Children of the Prophecy gawking, seriously not having been expecting that. ''Or that joined really young?''

Sasuke's visible eye narrowed a the three kids, Mitsuki in particular. ''Leave it. That's not a person you're allowed to look into. It's an S-calss, classified person.''

Mitsuki didn't seem to have heard him, still looking through the book he had been skimming when Sarada gasped loudly. Her teammates looking up at her and she immediately showed them the picture she had tumbled upon, the boys paling when they saw a tanned, blond child with kind blue eyes that greatly resembled Boruto's and Naruto's. She pointed lower at the page and they saw his genin team, instantly recognizing the boy with the mask and the silver hair. Boruto changed his book and skimmed through two more before finding the one he was looking for, letting his jaw drop open when he found the page and he showed his teammates the results, pointing to the left corner at the bottom of the page, where they could see a kid of only eleven (so the book said) with ash black hair, black eyes, pale skin that was in one picture wearing a weasel, white and red porcelain mask while in the other his face was visible. Mitsuki took the book from Boruto and flipped a few more pages until he found it. The mysterious boy's page.

''This can't be.'' Mitsuki muttered, not believing who they had ran into. '' _How_ can this be?''

''He's an Uchiha?'' Boruto asked incredulously, trying to see Sarada in this man but unable to, not with her big forehead. He looked very similar to his sensei, Boruto thought as he snook a glance at Sasuke. He, of course, saw it and walked over with a clenched jaw, seeing the page they were gawking at. It was of his brother, the youngest ANBU ever, Uchiha Itachi, age eleven, when he had just joined Team Ro.

''Is he related to you, papa?'' Sarada asked, staring at the picture, drinking in the image of another Uchiha. Besides her and her father, she had never even so much as glimpsed an Uchiha, even a picture. And for a very long time, she had had only her own reflection to go off on what Uchihas look like.

''Yes.'' Sasuke's pained voice had Naruto walking over to him to put a hand on his shoulder, also looking down at the image of a great man that had taught him so much despite only talking to him a couple of times. ''Uchiha Itachi, my Nii-san.''

''He's my uncle?'' The girl repeated incredulously, her curiosity taking over. ''Has he ever time traveled?''

''What did you do?'' Konohamaru and Shikamaru intoned while Sasuke and Naruto looked at the three kids suspiciously.

''Nothing!'' They answered again, chuckling nervously and heading towards the door quickly, taking the two books with them. ''Nothing, nothing!''

''Look at the time, we've gotta run, dattebasa.''

''Yeah, we have to finish the reports, shannaro!''

''Bye!''

The adults blinked at the slammed shut door before Konohamaru sighed. ''I'll see what they're up to, then.''

''Were we this big of a handful for Kakashi-sensei?''

Sasuke didn't answer.

00000

''Kakashi-san, Minato-sama.'' Itachi greeted without looking up from his book when he felt the two other boys approach him in the library from different sides, having recognized their companion out of time. The long haired Uchiha was busy reading one of the three dozen thick history books he had hastly purchased from the shelves some two hours ago, going through his fourth one at the moment. He spent less then forty seconds on each page, his Sharingan eyes easily scanning through the texts as he caught up to what had happened since his time. He estimated that over twenty years have passed since the massacre of his clan, but there wasn't much to say who, when or what had caused it. He still hadn't gotten that far as he had not wanted to read about it. He had found out Sasuke was indeed alive and he wanted to possibly talk about it with him. ''It's nice to know you will be joining me.''

''We still don't know who you are except that you're an Uchiha.'' Kakashi siad distrustfully. ''Yet you know us.''

Itachi looked up, arching an eyebrow at the silver haired man. ''Are you sure you don't know me, Kakashi-san? You used to berate my older cousin for taking me with you and your team on your easier missions just to get Rin-san's attention.''

Realization dawned on the other genius. ''Itachi?'' The Uchiha nodded, going back to his reading. ''But how? You're supposed to only be a one year old kid right now!''

''I am not from your time line, Kakashi-san. In my time, you are twenty years old. We have been wrung out of our time and thrown into this one due to some jutsu that strange man had preformed.'' He explained, referring to Shin.

''That would explain Minato-sensei.'' The silver haired man nodded, understanding what was going on and observing his dead friend's little cousin. Obito had really loved little Itachi. Then again, the kid was really lovable.

Minato, though, just looked confused. Sure, he understood what was going on but he knew neither of these boys. Kakashi, he had realized, greatly resembled one of his friends, Hatake Sakumo. It would seem this boy was his son and his future student, but the other boy, Itachi, was a complete mystery. He definitely had some Uchiha traits and he secretly reminded him a little bit of Fugaku and of Mikoto, but there were other features mixed in with those that actually made Itachi look like a whole different Uchiha, one Minato had not met before. Which was saying something, since Minato had met all of his friend's relatives. Itachi was a whole new set of genes that didn't even come from Mikoto. He was ... different? No, not the right word. Special? Close, but still not quite what he would associate with this boy. Hmm...

''Exceptional,'' he decided, not even aware he had spoken out loud until the other two turned to look at him curiously and he blushed. ''Uh, sorry. Just thinking about something.'' Kakashi remained confused but Itachi had an understanding look in his eyes. Minato wondered if he got told a lot that he was exceptional and wondered why that would be? Actually, _why_ had he thought that Itachi was exceptional? It couldn't be just because of his looks! Minato pondered on it hard, watching as Itachi absentmindedly brushed away one of his bangs when they got in the way of his reading. He couldn't explain it, but there was just something about Itachi that made him think he wasn't ordinary. He hadn't even really seen much of the kid's fighting back in the cave, it had been dark and everything had happened so fast. But the raven haired boy had stayed calm during all of this and had apparently figured everything out on his own, a lot faster than either Minato or Kakashi did.

''What should we do now?'' Kakashi wondered out loud, more to himself than to his companions. Itachi still answered as though he had been asked.

''I am currently reading up on the history of what happened since my time. When we have a good enough idea of our current situation in this time line, I suggest we start searching for a way to go back to that cave and find the jutsu that has sent us here in the first place. Until hten, we stick together like a team.''

''A three man cell is stronger than if we were to go on alone.'' Minato agreed. ''I nearly had to fight today.''

''I fought today.'' The Hatake almost cheerfully said, glad for further distraction from his new demons that awaited him in the future.

''I observed Konoha today.'' Itachi offered, finding amusement in how much their days had differed. They were all strangers in this time yet they had all had different experiences. ''These ninjas are severely under-trained. Had they been there during my days as a genin, they'd never actually pass the second test before officially becoming genin.''

''At least they know how to work as a team.'' The blond defended, recalling how they had been ready to guard each other hen they had appeared in that apartment in front of them. Itachi paused in his reading once again long enough only to answer.

''Yet they don't. They have split up and come after us. Had we wanted to kill them, they'd be dead right now and we would have continued on with our business, endangering the lives of others in the process.''

''You're a bit pessimistic,'' the blue eyed one argued, a pout on his lips. Itachi was already back to his reading, flipping pages far too quickly for anyone else to even get an idea of what he was reading, so he didn't see it.

''No, he's being realistic.'' Kakashi argued with the boy that will one day become his sensei. ''Genin are put in three man cells for the very purpose of protection. This is obviously not war, yes, but you never know when a missing nin might attack you.''

''Or someone could turn traitor.'' The ANBU said.

''Or turn out to be a spy.'' Kakashi mused.

''Or snap after a tragic event and go on a killing spree.''

''Or be under a brainwashing jutsu.''

''Okay, I get it.'' The blond said with a roll of his eyes at the paranoia these two had going on. ''I know all the ways things can go wrong. I saw war, too, you know.''

''Were you six at the time?'' The silver haired shinbo challenged with a huff, recalling his own first time on a battlefield.

''I was five.'' Minato huffed back, challenging the silver haired boy right back, the two engaging in a staring contest that was rising unneeded tension and drawing very much unwanted attention to their table from the other visitors in the library. The stares started to annoy Itachi, as well as their stupid little competition.

''I was four, now shut up.'' He ignored their stares and instead focused on the text before him that stated how Kakashi had become Rokudaime Hokage. Itachi wondered if Tsunade-sama, the Godaime Hokage, had been drunk when she had decided on this, seeing as this Kakashi wasn't exactly acting very Hokage-like. And he had heard the rumors going on about the silver haired man in his own time, too.

''You were four when they sent you out to war?!'' The incredulous Minato asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

''What was Fugaku-san thinking?'' The even more flabbergasted Kakashi demanded, as he had never heard of this, and Itachi could only shrug.

''He wanted me to understand the nature of a shinobi's life, I guess. Wanted me to see what war was. I can't say I can complain, not when that ordeal made me look into our history and made me hate conflict. I love peace. It is a state when everything would be in harmony, no one would suffer or be in pain. People would be happy for once." The Uchiha sighed and looked up to his companions, the other two quite speechless from what they were hearing. "But peace is not something easily obtained. I know I have to work for it. I know I will have to fight so that, possibly, future generations won't."

"How, exactly, are you Fugaku's son?" The blond finally asked, incredulous like no tomorrow. "He _loved_ fighting and showing off! He'd be bored out of his mind if he didn't have a fight in sight!"

''I saw war when I was four. Believe me,'' Itachi said solemnly, staring Minato in the eye. ''You grow to hate conflict pretty quickly if you see such a thing at that age.''

''You grow to hate conflict if you see that at any age.'' Kakashi said gravely, looking away from the two other boys. Minato had to nod at that. He could see the truth behind the words easily enough. Although he knew a lot of people who had grown anxious for more power after seeing such a thing, the true fleetingness of life. Their lust for life and power blind him to everything else and they just end up lusting for another's blood. Rare few become pacifists.

''Do you have any idea of how we could have ended up here?'' The blond asked instead of continuing the discussion. That's what really mattered in the end, really. They needed to know how they ended up being here so they could know how to get back. Minato had no clue, so he asked the obvious question. Kakashi didn't seem to be in any a better position, since he thought long and hard about it before shrugging a minute later, just in time for Itachi to finish his book. He set it aside and met the eyes of his companions.

''I don't know much, but I do know it has something to do with the moon last night.'' The raven haired shinobi began his expatiation. ''Now, this is only a theory of mine, but I think we should take it into serious consideration and treat it like a legitimate possibility.''

''We've got nothing better, so please do share.'' Kakashi offered with a wave of his hand and Itachi nodded.

''The moon has been for eons associated with the passage and control of time. That is where my theory comes from. However, there is also the fact that the Uchiha have been associated with the moon for centuries. There are hints that our first ancestor was actually Otsutsuki Indra and it was said he had some powers to do with the moon, something about his Sharingan.''

''That would make sense. The Uchiha are well known for their genjutsu prowess and genjutsu could induce dreams and hallucinations, both things also often associated with the moon.'' Minato pointed out, getting a nod from Itachi at his observation.

''I checked the calendar. Last night was a full eclipse of the moon and tomorrow night is the night that there is the full moon and when it is particularly close to the Earth. This occurrence is called the Wolf's Moon and it doesn't happen often. Both these occurrences tend to make genjutsus take effect easier.'' The dark haired one of the group said seriously.

"How does that have anything to do with what you're suggesting? I mean, time travel and illusions have very little to do with each other." Kakashi argued, his one black eye meeting the two crimson ones. "We should probably look into space-time ninjutsu instead of genjutsu."

"I was not finished." Itachi gently admonished, still finding it weird that two men who were ten and twenty years his seniors were now the same age as them. "Not many know this, but the Uchiha possess the ability to rip apart reality and rewrite it as they see fit. It costs them their light - that is, the sigh in one eye - but considering how powerful such _genjutsu_ is, it is a rather small price." He paused to let the gawking males take in what he had said, letting it sink in before continuing. "It is for this reason that I believe some sort of genjutsu to have ripped open windows in time and we were extracted from _our_ time and brought into this one."

"Well, when you put it that way, it _is_ possible." The son of Konoha's Silver Fang conceded, thinking about what was said. It would have never occurred to him. Then again, while he had a Sharingan eye in his left eye socket, he was no Uchiha. He didn't know any of their doujutsu and especially not any of such powerful genjutsu. "Do you think one of those genjutsu was used?"

"I don't think so." The should be youngest replied. "What is happening does not fit the description of the techniques I know of."

"Still, this is useful information." Minato stated, crossing his arms. "We need to know what to search for when we start looking for a way back." He locked eyes with the ANBU dressed boy as he asked his next question. "You emphasized the importance of yesterday night and tomorrow night in regards to the Wolf's Moon. Any reason for that other than strengthening genjutsu?"

Itachi sighed, placing his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers in front of his face, looking his companions over them seriously. "Unfortunately, I believe that tomorrow night is the only time we can preform the jutsu that will return us to our time before we are forever stuck here."

"Shit," Kakashi cursed, rubbing the ridge of his nose with his fingers. "We don't know what jutsu was used, we don't know where the damn cave we ended up in was and we don't even know if we can get back."

"What if it's not a Sharingan related jutsu?" Minato asked apprehensively.

"Then we're in even more trouble." The Uchiha said with a sigh. "If it had something to do with the Sharingan, we'd at least have a starting point for our research. If it's not, then we're back to square one and we'd end up just wasting out time." The raven haired boy then looked shrewdly at the blond. "You're not worried about our lack of knowledge of the location of that cave." It was a statement and a very pointed one. Still, Minato nodded sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"I have to mark all places used for my Flying Thunder God technique. As such, a mark is left in the cave. I just need to focus on it and we can go back any time."

"At least one problem's been dealt with." The Hatake said with a tired sigh, crossing his arms on the table and leaning his head there. "Maybe we should deal with things we _do_ know and _can_ deal with at the moment. Like the three man cell you're suggesting."

"Right." Minato agreed with a nod. "Despite us not being an official team - and being from different time lines, we _still_ need a hierarchy in the team. It's only natural to choose a leader."

"Usually, I'd recommend you, Minato-sensei, but we might need someone with more experience." The masked boy said a bit uncomfortably. "Besides, you couldn't be more than a genin and I'm a jonin already. Maybe we should stick to ranks to decide this."

"Then it should be Itachi," Minato said by way of agreement, both boys observing the ANBU uniform he was wearing. Despie it being slightly different from the uniforms in their respective times, it was still obvious which group and rank it belonged to. "He's obviously made it ANBU already so he should be our leader."

"Actually, I'm still a jonin. I'll become ANBU in two weeks time." Itachi said with a cough. ''These clothes were just given to me since the uniform has to be measured properly. I was testing them out to see if there were any corrections that needed to be made. I'll only become ANBU in two weeks.''

''Still, an ANBU at ten ... That's probably the youngest anyone has ever entered the black ops.'' Minato said, sounding impressed. ''I'm still only a genin.''

''Actually, I will be eleven as of tomorrow in my time.'' The Uchiha corrected again. There was a faint blush on his cheeks. He wasn't used o such genuine praise that had nothing to do with his clan.

''Really? So will I in my time!'' Kakashi said, sounding as surprised as he was.

Minato narrowed his eyes in suspicion. ''Me too. Something strange is going on here alright.''

''Three geniuses pulled from their time on the last day of their tenth year? Definitely suspicious.'' Itachi agreed, also frowning. He pulled open another book and continued reading, catching up to the fifteen years of Kakashi's reign as Hokage. ''We need to go through these books to see if our present selves, if they are alive, know what's going on.'' Like hell he was going to tell Minato that he and Itachi were dead already. The weael sighed, massaging his forehead. ''I could really go for some dango right about now.''

''I want ramen.'' Minato immediately said, his stomach growling.

''I'll go get the food. I really want to eat some salt-broiled saury and miso soup with eggplant right about now. Either of you drink sake?'' The blond and the raven haired child looked at the silver haired jonin and he just shrugged at their incredulous stares. ''More for me.''

Itachi glared at the Hatake. ''No alcohol.''

''What are you, my mother?''

''Don't make me spank you like a parent would.''

''You two, enough.'' Minato scolded and both boys looked away with a flush on their cheeks, embarrassed by their behavior. ''Kakashi, please get the food. Itachi, continue reading. I'll go check out space-time ninjutsu just in case it's not what we think it is.''

''Yes, sensei.''

''Hai, Minato-sama.''

00000

''Any sign of them?'' Sarada asked, feeling tired from the long day of searching and knowing she will have to go home soon unless she worries her Mama and alerts her Papa about just what was going on. The boys just shook their heads and all three genin sigh.

''Lets just go home and continue in the morning, ne?'' Mitsuki suggested, fighting back a yawn.

''Yeah, see ya.''

''Bye.''

''Goodnight.''

00000

''I really thought I'd never see Kushina again. I was almost too late.'' Minato was saying as the three genius boys ate a late dinner of their choice that Kakashi had managed to get through means the other two didn't want to ask about. It didn't sit well with either three of them to steal from their fellow Konoha villagers, even if they were who knows how far into the future. ''I promised myself that I would train harder after that day and I have. The Flying Thunder God was the first thing I learned after that night and I marked both Kushina and Fugaku-san, my teammates, and Jiraiya-sensei and half of Konoha so I can practice and so I can get anywhere I am needed as quickly as it is possible. I never want to be almost late for an important person again, Kami-sama forbid I am actually late. I would never forgive myself.''

Kakashi squirmed in his seat but said nothing. He didn't want to tell this young version of his sensei that, for all of his speed, he had been too late for Obitoand then Rin, later, too. Instead, he answered the question poised earlier in their conversation (What is your greatest failure/shame?) vaguely. ''I was entrusted with a certain power to protect my friend's most important person and I failed. I tried getting stronger but I still feel so weak ... ''

Itachi watched the two boys before him sigh and look pityingly at each other before turning curious looks onto Itachi. For all that they have been in his presence for but an hour, even they had been put under the impression that he was somehow perfect. Itachi wanted to laugh in their faces but knew that reaction would be inappropriate, to say the least. Instead, he shared his own story. ''I also failed to save a friend. I was eight and a genin. My team was assigned to guard the Fire Daimyo's convoy on its way to Konoha. We were attacked by a strange man, putting everyone but me and my friend under a genjutsu. My friend ran to attack him, no doubt trying to protect me who was younger and our other companions, only to be ruthlessly slaughtered. I activated my Sharingan on that day and my clan rejoiced, yet I see nothing but sorrow and shame in that day. A friend was dead and they expected me to celebrate.'' His voice was laced with disgust and the two lighter haired boys suddenly felt their own pity after their failures couldn't exactly measure up. After all, no one expected them to be _happy_ afterwards. Itachi shook his head and masterfully but not at all subtly - not that he was trying - stirred the conversation into better waters. ''Anyway, you made the yellow flash in your Flying Thunder God Jutsu, bettering the Nidaime's first version?''

Minato took the cue and went along with it. ''Yeah. I made the jutsu fit more someone like myself. Did you know that it is utterly useless for someone who isn't a sensor? You simply can't feel the markings if you don't have strong enough sensory skills. I think I and Nidaime are the rare few who could use it safely and freely. But I'm more proud of my Rasengan. I modeled it after the Bijudama I once saw Kushina make when she used the Kyuubi's chakra that is sealed within her. Really, really, really good chakra control is all htat's neded to make it work. I tried applying natural energy to it to make it even stronger but have failed failed so far.'' He turned towards Kakashi with an expectant smile. ''What about you, Kakashi? Did you ever invent any new jutsu?''

''Ah.'' The silver haired boy nodded. ''On the day I became jonin, I used it for the first time. I call it the Chidori.'' Kakashi said as he made a few hand seals and lightning started dancing across his palm, the strange chirping nose of a thousand dying birds following its appearance. The other two watched with curious fascination, Minato never having seen anything like it before and Itachi never having been this close to it before. ''It was actually supposed to be lightning chakra applied to your Rasengan but lighting is too volatile for the chakra sphere that is the Rasengan. They weren't compatible. And I only mastered the Chidori after I received this.'' He let his free hand tap against his forehead protector as his technique faded. ''It was too fast for the normal eye to perceive as all focus was on moving fast enough.''

''But the Sharingan provides the user with unconscious hyperactive perception, even at abnormal speeds.'' Itachi concluded, understanding the gist behind it. Kakshi nodded and silence fell again, the two should be older individuals waiting for the young ANBU to gather his thoughts. ''I actually want to make stronger genjutsu techniques with the Sharingan to incapacitate the opponent without hurting them, but all my attempts so far work for relatively short time periods.''

''What about that teleportation with crows thing?'' Kakashi asked curiously. ''I've never seen anyone do that before, even those who have contracts with crows.''

''I have a special pact with crows I would rather not go into the details of right now.'' The Uchiha drawled but held up a hand when the other two went to protest about them explaining their techniques while Itachi continued to play the secretive game. ''The idea for teleportation with crows and Karasu Bunshin came to me when I was young. The stunning effect of it lasts longer than any other technique since when the crows start flying in all directions, they distract the opponent and confuse them for a lot longer than any other method. It gives me a longer opening to do whatever I want. It was simply far more effective than other means available so I developed it. I found myself to be right and that they work far better than the other methods.''

''Makes sense.'' Minato mumbled, seeing where Itachi was coming from. ''But why try to develop better genjutsu? Just a second is enough to finish the job on any enemy.''

''I thought I already said I don't like conflict or killing and that I will avoid it for as long as possible.''

''You have a dangerous mind.'' Kakashi pointed out. ''You could develop much more dangerous skills with such a thought process than just silly genjutsu.''

Itachi glared at the Hatake, his eyes bleeding into the red of the Sharingan before either of the lighter haired boys could react and Kakashi had no time to look away before he found himself in his own worse nightmare of watching his Chidori strike Rin through the heart over and over again. By the time Itachi released him from the genjutsu, he was doubled over and tears were streaking down his pale cheeks, dampening his mask. ''Imagine what an hour of such an experience would do to an enemy. They would be defeated without a single drop of blood being spilled, no lives lost. I am for that. Fear is much more likely to stop conflict than violence is.''

Mianto looked worriedly between the other two as Kakashi did his best to gather himself. He in the end just shook his head and met Itachi's eyes as bravely as he could mange after that genjutsu he'd been trapped in. Itachi had to hand it to him that he was taking it far better than most. Kakashi was indeed strong. ''Like I said: a very dangerous mind.''

''I'll take that as a compliment, Kakashi-san.''

''It was.'' The silver haired boy replied before taking his seat again. Itachi relaxed and let his eyes fade back to black. Minato slumped in his seat, too, upon feeling the tension bleed out of the room.

''That was intense.''

''Sorry,'' the other two replied but Minato just waved them off.

''So, what's your dream, Itachi? I mean, besides ending all wars and conflicts.'' Kakashi asked curiously, studying the black haired genius.

''I have a little brother who I want to see grow up and be happy. It is for him and many others like him that I want peace for. They deserve better.''

''A noble dream. me, I want to be Hokage so I can protect everyone.'' Minato replied, finishing off his meal and masking a burp. ''You, Kakashi?''

''I just want to live my life in a way that will make my father, my friends and my sensei not feel ashamed of me. Nothing grand or special. Certainly nothing noble, but it's still my dream and it means something to me. Also, I never want to allow a friend to die in front of my eyes ever again.''

''No need to get defensive, Kakashi-san.'' Itachi soothed when the masked boy crossed his arms over his chest. ''It's as noble a dream to protect your precious people as is to protect even those who you do not know. Maybe even more so. After all, if you won't or can't protect those precious to you, how will you protect anyone else?''

''Wiser words have not been said.'' Mianto replied with a reassuring grin and Kakashi relaxed slightly. ''What should we do now?''

''We should rest.'' Itachi immediately answered. ''Tomorrow is going to be a long day and night and our last chance to get back to our rightful times. We can't mess it up because we're tired.''

''Not to mention I have a feeling those three will come after us again.'' Kakashi grumbled, standing up from his seat and walking around the corner so he can keep an eye on the door. Everyone had left the library by now, the group having stayed unnoticed only thanks to Itachi casting a genjutsu and making everyone believe they have already left and that their table was empty now. ''I'll take first watch. You guys get some sleep. I'll wake Itachi in three hours.''

''Okay.'' The other two replied and made themselves comfortable within the barriers of Itachi's genjutsu. Kakashi revealed his Sharingan eye and assumed his post. It was going to be a long day.

00000

Their night had been spent in relative peace, even if they hadn't been able to fully relax, all expecting an attack from either the other three kids they had met earlier or those strange albino people with the Sharingan that had summoned them here in the first place. Still, they were very tense when they left the library without being noticed despite them looking completely normal and relaxed. They were ninja, after all. If they can't fake it, they can't do their missions correctly. No one paid them much attention until Minato stiffened, his sensory abilities picking up the three kids' chakra signature instantly.

''Those kids are coming.'' The blond warned, making Kakashi tense and Itachi frown. ''What should we do?'' He asked of their 'leader' and Itachi stayed silent in thought for a moment before facing his two companions.

''I need to check something out before we can leave. Can you please keep them busy for half an hour or so?''

''You got it.'' Kakashi said, already rolling his head and shoulders, more anticipating this fight than either of his companions would. Well, he had a lot of things to work through and he did that best with violence at this age. He mellowed out only later, when he watched over Kushina during her pregnancy, but he didn't know that just yet. Itachi was a pacifist who avoided or ended conflict as quickly as possible and Minato wasn't an all that passionate fighter no matter how good he was at it or how necessary it was.

''Just don't hurt them or draw too much attention to yourselves.'' Itachi told them sternly before using the Shunshin no Jutsu to teleport away just seconds before Sarada, Boruto and Mitsuki arrived. The five kids exchanged calculating looks before Kakashi made a quick series of hand seals and dropped to the ground, placing both palms on the earth.

"Doton: Tsuchi Nami no Jutsu!''Kakashi yelled, channeling his chakra into the ground and letting it form a wave that headed straight for the incoming genin. It knocked down and over more than a few people and things in the streets, but Kakashi didn't particularly care. They had promised to buy Itachi some time to do whatever it is he needs to do and Kakashi wasn't about to break the promise if he can help it.

Sarada saw the wave coming for them and activated her Sharingan before she channeled chakra into her fist and used to Ōkashō crack the ground around them so as to stop the wave from truly impacting them. ''Chaa!''

The blast after-wave sent dust towards Minato and Kakashi, making it hard to see so Minato put his hands together and made a short series of hand seals, puffing up his cheeks as he gathered his breath and chakra. ''Fūsajin no Jutsu!'' The gust of wind that came from his exhaled breath pushed the dust right back at the genin, now giving Kakashi and Minato the advantage of a clear field while the others couldn't see anything. ''Can you see them?''

''Yes, so the Uchiha girl will be able to see us, too.'' Kakashi replied, straining his Sharingan eye to make out even the faintest of shadows in the dust cloud. ''I am guessing you can sense them easily, Minato-sensei?''

''Not a problem, but that means that boy with sage powers will be able to sense us, too.'' The blond replied, and true enough, Sarada's shuriken suddenly flew out of the dust, heading straight towards Kakashi while snake heads lunged towards Minato. The future Yondaime easily dodged the reaching hands by teleporting elsewhere with his Flying Thunder God Technique while Kakashi just dodged or repelled the shuriken with a kunai. Before the silver haired boy could do much more, Boruto burst out of the dust cloud, a clone beside him and a Rasengan spinning in hand.

''Evade this, dattebane!'' The whiskered blond yelled and Kakashi cursed inside his mind, knowing the kid was too close to him for him to get away in time. Still, he tried to Shunshin away but it was no use. Boruto was too close. Kakashi closed his eyes as he prepared for the Rasengan to hit him-

Only to find himself by Minato's side on a rooftop, Boruto's Rasengan slamming into a nearby food stand, making the goods fly all over the place and enraging one food cart owner. ''Minato-sensei!''

''I'm glad I wasn't too late, Kakashi.'' The tanned boy sighed in relief and smiled at his future student, making Kakashi relax at the familiar sight. Younger he may be, but Minato-sensei was still Minato-sensei. ''Get ready.'' The blond said, sensing Sarada gathering chakra.

True enough, a second later, a giant fireball was flying towards them as Sarada breathed her Katon: Gokakyo no Jutsu at the two boys from the past. Kakashi immediately put his hands together and started weaving hand seals. ''Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu!'' The ball of water clashed with the fireball head on, the hissing filling the air as steam filled the street. The civilians screamed and ran away, fearing for their lives if they were to get caught up in a shinobi battle. Both Minato and Kakashi were half expecting the Uchiha to come by any moment now and bring them in as Konoha Military Police officers, but no Uchihas came, much to Minato's secret disappointment. No, he didn't want them to be captured but he wanted to see Fugaku, his friend and teammate. Knowing the stubbornness of the Uchihas, he would have probably still been active in duty if he wasn't too badly injured from some long done battle.

Boruto and his clone zeroed in on the two boys and he frowned when he finally realized the third was nowhere to be seen. ''Hey, Mitsuki! You said the third one was here, too! So where the hell is he?!''

''Itachi?'' Kakashi narrowed his eyes suspiciously before exchanging a laden glance with Minato. ''What would they want with Itachi?''

''So that _is_ Uchiha Itachi?'' Mitsuki asked, ignoring his teammate for the time being.

''Meaning these two really are Namikaze Minato and Rokudaime-sama as kids!'' Sarada exclaimed, drawing the two time travelers' attention. ''Guys, I think we should take them up to Nanadaime-sama. I am pretty sure they are not supposed to be here.''

''You Uchiha are all just geniuses, aren't you?'' The Hatake said sarcastically, earning himself an elbow to the gut from his companion and a glare from the Uchiha. ''Well, except Itachi. He is a genuine genius, it would seem.''

Minato chose to ignore him and instead focused on the other kids. ''What do you want with Itachi?''

''Nothing.'' Mitsuki answered. ''It is just that you are not meant to be here and that could cause some problems in the fabric of time and space. Hokage-sama will most likely want to send you back to where you came from as soon as possible in order to avoid any complications.''

''How did you even come to be here?'' Boruto had to ask, looking at the young version of his grandfather and his father's sensei. He couldn't believe how strong they already were and they looked to be no more than ten! No wonder they were legends.

''We don't actually know what happened exactly. Itachi was able to make a good guess but that's all we've got.'' The Namikaze replied with a worried frown. ''Maybe we should seek a Hokage's help.''

''We can't trust them.'' Kakashi immediately shot the idea down. ''They've been searching for us on their own, which means they've yet to tell any figures of authority what is going on, which means that they could be spies in Konoha and we've accidentally just stumbled upon their base of operation or something. Don't let them fool you, Minato-sensei. They were in your _apartment_!'' He glared at the three kids. ''They obviously can't be trusted.''

''Hey! That's my old man's apartment!'' The Uzumaki boy protested. ''He's lived there his whole life! And it's his father's place, so it's a rightful heritage.'' Kakashi and Minato froze for a moment and Minato's mouth fell open in shock as it registered what that would mean about his connection to the strange boy in front of him.

It was still Kakashi who voiced his thoughts. ''Wait, are you _seriously_ suggesting that you're Minato-sensei's _grandson_?''

''It would make sense.'' Minato whispered, still awestruck. ''I'm not only a father but a grandfather, too?'' Joy soon bloomed all over his face, a silly, lovestruck smile took residence on his features. Team Konohamaru couldn't help but flush from how handsome it made him look. Boruto went to answer but before anything could leave his mouth, another voice cut through the air like a knife.

''Boruto! Sarada! Mitsuki! What have you brats done this time!?'' The three mentioned flinched and looked over to see a fuming and stunned Konohamaru as he surveyed the damage made so far to the street in front of the library. The ground was cracked, in places sopping wet and in other places charred from fire. Merchandise was covered in dust or in much the same state as the ground and there was some shuriken sticking out of them. The civilians were still too fearful to brave coming out of their hiding places, expecting the fighting to continue. ''You've so done it this time! I'm going to load you guys with so many D-rank missions that you will forget what it means to mold chakra!''

''He looks a little like a brunet Asuma.'' That observation stopped Konohamaru in his tracks and he looked up, wide eyed, to where Minato and Kakashi were perched on a building, looking down at the new arrival with interest. ''Only without the smell of cigars.''

''He feels a little bit like Sandaime-sama.'' Minato cocked his head to the side, focusing on his senses to better discern Konohamaru's identity.

The jonin's jaw dropped to the ground, eyes as wide as dinner plates as he stared at a man that should be long dead and the other man that was at the very least twice his age. He turned to look at his genin team but they only shrugged. ''They kind of just appeared in my living room, dattebane.''

''We didn't recognize them right away and we tried catching them, but they are kind of out of our league.'' Sarada continued for Boruto, a bit sheepish in admitting that they were lacking. It would seem she had quite a bit of her clan's pride even if no one taught her about it. ''We recognized them after we saw them in the Bingo Books in Hokage-sama's office.''

''There's also Uchiha Itachi, somewhere out there.'' Mitsuki added, a frown on his face. ''Although we haven't seen him since they ran out of the apartment.''

Konohamaru looked about ready to faint but just swallowed the lump in his throat and instead turned towards the Hokage Tower. ''Come on. We need to inform Naruto-nii-chan about this before even more trouble arises.''

''What about Itachi?'' Boruto asked even as he fell in step with his sensei, his teammates gesturing for the two boys from the past to follow them. Minato and Kakashi hesitated only for a moment before going after the retreating group.

Konohamaru tightened his jaw, completely out of his depth. ''I'm sure he will find his way to us soon enough.''

00000

When Itachi entered the Uchiha Compound, he found it as deserted as he'd prepared himself for it to be yet it still hurt not to hear the voices of his relatives and kinsmen in a place that was usually so lively with noise. He did his best to ignore it, to not look at any of the houses or shops where people usually greeted him and instead just walked right straight through the empty streets, across the Uchiha Clan's grounds and towards the once place rare few visited except when it was time.

The Uchiha Compound's Graveyard was even more quiet than the rest of the grounds, yet it wasn't nearly as deserted. To anyone else, it would seem as though no one had stepped through here for years and years, but it was obvious someone comes here on an almost daily basis. Itachi tried not to think about just who that someone is.

But it's not just human presence that Itachi was talking about. Anyone else would not notice it, but Itachi had always been a bit too perceptive for his own good, a bit too sensitive to these sorts of things. He could feel it, almost see it even without the use of his Kekkei Genkai, the restless energy of those who had passed that still resided here, despite their souls already crossing into the Pure Lands. The connection to the world of the living felt even stronger than it had been in Itachi's time and the Uchiha prodigy spent half a thought to it being a result of all the Edo Tensei usage he had read about in the history books about the Fourth War before focusing on why he was here.

He had questions. Many, many questions. Everything from the Uchiha Massacre to the end of the Fourth War, where his name was once again mentioned, as the hero who had deactivated the massive Edo Tensei one Yakihiko Kabuto had cast on thousands and thousands of powerful shinobi, including some Kage, Uchiha Madara and Itachi himself. Itachi's death had never been mentioned before that, in any of the books he'd read that featured the time before the war or any of the books written after it. All it said was that Itachi had done Konoha a great honor and service and Konoh had finally repaid him by erasing his status as a missing nin and instead labeling him a hero, another thing that bothered him.

Itachi had thought he would never betray Konoha. There was no way he had defected by his own free will. It had to be connected to the Massacre. But the details of the Massacre were also hidden from the public records and even the classified records had limited access, so not even Itachi's new soon-to-be ANBU status was enough to grant him access to the files. Genjutsu didn't help much, as the librarian had not a single clue about what the books and files talked about.

Anyone else would have ran out of options in this search, would have called it futile as it would seem only the brass and the dead know about it. Well, the brass was probably going to be hard to convince to give way such information and to talk to the dead, one must reanimate them by paying for their return with the life of another person, right? It's hopeless ... Right?

Well, not for Itachi.

When he had been young, he had researched jutsu after jutsu, even the forbidden ones and he had stumbled upon a few that call back the chakra and the consciousness of the owner of said chakra for short periods of time from the realm of the dead without needing a sacrifice, as the returned consciousness is to remain incorporeal and the return was only temporary. Reminded of the cousin he had lost when he was four to the Great War and that no one wanted to tell him about, Itachi had researched the jutsu a bit more until he was certain he could do it without there being any grave consequences.

He had been trying the jutsu for three years at random intervals in time, whenever he was free and could get away from Shisui or Sasuke or his father, but it had never worked. Some other 'ghosts' would come out of the ground and talk to him, but he never managed to summon Uchiha Obito. Of course, Itachi now knew it was because Obito had never died but he had used to think it was because his cousin's body hadn't been buried within his reach. He had written it off and finally gave up on the jutsu, but he still remembered it. After all, the last time he had used it had been only two years ago, when he had desperately wanted to talk with someone and still hadn't thought himself to be close enough to Shisui to reveal the burden he carried, the guilt of not being able to protect his first friend and teammate. Obito had used to be like a big brother for him before he went on that one mission and never came back.

Now, he knew that Obito had survived thanks to something called the Zetsu and thanks to Uchiha Madara. Obito had died only some fifteen years ago.

So that means that he will finally be able to summon his consciousness from the realm of the dead.

Without further ado, Itachi knelt in front of all the graves, not venturing in between them for fear of disturbing the spirits resting here. He put his hands together and started forming the hand seals needed for the jutsu, infusing a considerable amount of his chakra into the technique before touching the ground with both of his hands and pulsating chakra outwards through the ground. It was unnecessary to use the earth as a conduct for the technique, but it made the best medium for summoning the 'ghosts' and soon enough, Itachi found himself kneeling in front of not only his cousin's ghost, but the ghosts of all the Uchiha. He gulped when he saw their number and bowed to show respect to his clansmen, from his own present and from his past.

Murmurs filled the silent graveyard, the ghosts surprised to find themselves in the land of the living once again and almost not taking notice of the kneeling form. In fact, Itachi noted, they seemed to be drawing further and further away from him when he looked up. He realized why as he scanned over them with his eyes, trying to see if he will find his cousins, both Obito and Shisui, only for his eyes to land on an identical pair almost right in front of himself.

The ten year old stared up at the form of his older self that had died at the age of twenty one, fifteen years ago. He had grown quite the bit taller, he observed, in the years following his enrollment into the ANBU and his life after that. He was still lean and on the skinny side, but it was obvious he had quite a bit of strength. His eyes seemed to radiate it and the fact that a bunch of long dead ghosts still feared another ghost made it quite obvious how strong he had become. Itachi observed that his older self looked almost regal as he stood before him. Even as a ghost, there was a grace to his presence that nothing earthly had ever matched before, or so Shisui used to joke while they were training. His older self was dressed in the standard Akatsuki cloak and a slashed Konoha forehead protector to symbolize his broken ties with the village. Under the cloak, all Itachi could see was dark blue pants. On his right ring finger was his Akatsuki ring, which was red and bore the kanji for "vermilion". He wore purple nail polish on his fingers and toes and a necklace that had three silver rings with red gems inside them.

All in all, his future self looked very impressive. He had gotten even more handsome, even if the tear-troughs were even more obvious now.

 _''You just can't seem to get a break, Itachi.''_ Itachi heard Shisui's voice say from somewhere behind his older self, a bit to the right, but he couldn't see him. All the other Uchiha spirits were keeping well out of his range, their forms blurring together, as if to hide themselves from Itachi's eyes.

 _''You are disturbed even in death.''_ An unfamiliar voice said but the way the words were spoken in such a teasing tone reminded Itachi of a time long past, when his older cousin used to tease him over the silliest of things any toddler would do and Itachi closed his eyes in pain. Both his precious cousins, all of his clansmen ... _dead_.

 _''What has the foolish world done now?''_ He heard the deeper tones of his own voice muse before his bangs rustled. He opened his eyes, meeting the gaze of his older self square on and his breath hitched as he felt the other easily invading his mind, slipping in and searching through his memories. He retreated rather quickly, but to Itachi it felt as though an eternity has passed. _''I see. I do not remember this, which means the memory is obscured by a jutsu to prevent time from changing.''_

''We were somehow yanked out of our own times by some man called Shin.'' Itachi found himself explaining to his older self. ''He didn't seem to be expecting Minato-sama and Kakashi-san, but he had been rather obsessed with capturing me.''

 _''I do not know anyone by that name.''_ The ghost replied. _''But you are not suited to fight this battle. You are still far too inexperienced. I saw the Akatsuki cloak. If this is truly a revived Akatsuki, you are not yet trained enough to take him on. And so many Sharingan at once, with most of them already in the Mangekyo stage ... ''_ The older Itachi shook his head, trailing off. _''You do not even have the Mangekyo yet.''_

''Then what are we supposed to do?'' The ten year old demanded. ''We can't stay here forever! We have only tonight more to return to our times before we are stuck here!''

 _''You will need assistance, first of all.''_ His elder replied. _''But not just from the living. The dead must help you as well.''_ A ghostly hand raised again towards him, but it stopped just centimeters from touching his heart this time, not his forehead. _''Will you let me guide you through the rest of this trip?''_

Itachi paused to think. In a way, it almost felt like cheating, letting his older self take over and save the day. Minato-sama and Kakashi-san will still be struggling on their own while he would be just sitting back and watching what his older self did. It also wouldn't be fair to his older self. He was finally at rest. One shouldn't disturb the dead, especially not the dead that had once already been disturbed.

But this wasn't just some situation that can be treated lightly. If they don't return to their time tonight, the whole fabric of time and space might suffer the consequences. This peace the new generations have made might shatter or never even happen, war could rage on, if reality is lucky enough to still exist at all, after the flow of time is changed so much. This was about more than just allowing himself to for once be a little lazy.

Countless lives were at stake.

There was only one decision Itachi could make.

00000

Uchiha Sasuke had thought he had seen it all.

He had seen revivals, mutations, god-like powers, other dimensions, the lives of others. He had met sages and talking animals and ninja with the strangest abilities. He had experienced jutsus that could devastate a battlefield in a second or ones that could save another's life with only chakra. He had been tortured for three days in a single second and he had been on the edge of insanity more than once.

He had seen pain and love, grief and happiness.

He had seen war and he had seen peace.

He had thought he had truly seen it all, that nothing could surprise him anymore.

And then he saw his ten-soon-to-be-eleven-and-in-the-ANBU-should-be-twenty-one-and-dead older brother standing in front of all the graves in the Uchiha Compound's Graveyard when he went for his daily visit of his family's graves, the should be older man's back turned towards him but his proud stance, perfect composure were more than enough for Sasuke to recognize him. It was, after all, the back he had chased after his whole life.

So caught off guard was he at seeing his brother so suddenly again that Sasuke lost all feeling in his entire body and the offerings he had brought with him fell from his numb fingers, clattering on the stone pathway that lead to the the graves and drawing Itachi's attention. The ponytail wearing Uchiha turned around to face the Rinnegan wielder and Sasuke felt all the breath leave him when he saw that beloved, long missed face, a few years younger than he had last time seen it but still oh so perfect, just like in his memories. There was no traces of illness in him yet and Sasuke's throat clogged up at the thought.

This was Uchiha Itachi, his precious prodigy of a brother, just entering his prime of power.

And he was somehow here, in front of him, years after his death.

''N-Nii-san?'' Sasuke knew he should be ashamed of how his voice shook and cracked, as well as of the tears threatening to blind him and spill over from his eyes. He was a shinobi, an Uchiha. He had his pride and image to keep up. He should be stronger and not let the emotions take hold of him like this.

But he didn't care. This was his Nii-san, once again back from the dead, and all Sasuke wanted to do was gather him up in his arms - well, arm - and never let him go, to shield him from this cruel world and never let it touch a single strand of his hair again.

''Hello, Sasuke.'' That voice nearly sent him to his knees, but he held strong. ''My, how you have grown.'' The smile that stretched on his brother's lips coupled with hte words that followed finally did Sasuke in and he crashed to his knees, feet away from his brother, shaking as tears and sobs raked his frame, the old grief finally having an outlet after all these years.

''I am so proud of you, otouto. You did well.''

00000

''Naruto-kun.'' Said blond could only stare, open mouthed, at the should-be-dead Uchiha that Sasuke had latched onto like a leech and seemed to be afraid to let go of, even as Itachi bowed to the Nanadaime Hokage. When he straightened up, Itachi could only arch an eyebrow at the expression he was being subjected to. ''I would have thought that after seeing my companions, my own presence would not be so shocking.''

Naruto snorted, finally breaking himself out of his stupor as he pointed towards the young Kakashi and Minato standing beside to grown up Kakashi, who didn't know whether he should fidget under his younger self's stare or hug the living daylights out of his young sensei. ''I already knew these two were cute as kids. I never thought someone like you could be just as adorable.''

''All children are cute when they are children. Why is it so surprising with me?'' And yes, that was a touch of offense in Itachi's tone. After all, he had been hailed as one of the cutest and then handsomest kids of his generation before people started describing him as hot and the like.

Naruto let out another snort. ''Because half the time you are this great badass ninja that mindfucks people left and right and can get away with it since you could have probably floored Madara, had you lived to see that fight.''

''Only half the time?'' The amused prodigy inquired and Naruto nodded sagely. ''What about the other half.''

''Oh, you're dead.'' The blond replied casually, ignoring the stricken looks the three genin and the other two time travelers shot him. ''No offense, but I've known you longer as dead than I did alive.''

It was Itachi who snorted this time. ''No offense, but I've known you longer as the loudmouthed, brat than I've known you as a Hokage, so please do excuse any slip of the tongue that may come from my mouth.''

Boruto cracked up as soon as his father's and his sensei's jaws dropped to the floor. Kakashi, the older one, just shook his head at his once teammate's sass. Only rare few have ever seen this side of Itachi and Kakashi had actually been on the receiving side of some of these comments after he finally managed to get it through Itachi's head that they can be friends and ANBU collages at the same time, despite what some of the older ANBU members used to say. He had often regretted his efforts later, when Itachi would turn that sass on him. He had almost forgotten about it.

When he calmed down, the younger Uzumaki turned towards Mitsuki, wiping tears out of his eyes. ''Can we trade?''

Mitsuki gave him a flat look that clearly said: ''Oh _hell_ no.''

''Oh, come on!''

''I said I knew who I was going to do from the beginning. And you said you didn't want to do a dead guy.'' The albino replied flatly, not seeing the perplexed and disturbed looks they were getting from the three time travelers.

''I should be allowed to do my own uncle!'' Sarada pipped in with her protest and young Kakashi couldn't take it any more.

''You people are sick! Sick, I tell you! Sick, sick sick!''

''What's his problem?'' Naruto asked, looking towards the older Kakashi, who just sighed and bonked his younger self on the head.

''Nothing, just too much Icha Icha on his brain, is all.''

''They could express themselves differently.'' Minato pipped up, looking a bit green in the face.

''That's what I said!'' The female Uchiha exclaimed and Sasuke groaned, looking ready to do a spectacular facepalm.

Itachi just sighed.

00000

''So, let me get this straight.'' Tsunade said in a very low and very dangerous voice as she stood in front of Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Konohamaru, Kakashi, Kitsuki, Boruto, Sarada and the three time travelers, Minato, (young) Kakashi and Itachi in the Hokage's office. ''You need me to tale over for a few hours - again - because these pipsqueaks,'' here, she pointed at Itachi, Minato and (young) Kakashi. ''Have managed to get themselves into trouble once again for who knows what time in their lives and they need your help to get to some giant stone that should be able to allow them to get back to their time from which Shin had taken them?''

''It's not really our fault, Tsunade-sama.'' Minato tried to reason, Tsunade being the most familiar figure in the future that he knew. ''We were just snatched out of our time all of the sudden. We couldn't control it.''

''I know, Minato.'' The busty blond said with a sigh, running a hand through her hair. ''I kind of just wish Jiraiya were here to see you again. He'd be thrilled.''

''Maybe next time.'' Itachi said gently, he and Tsunade exchanging a look in which the woman thanked Itachi for not telling Minato his sensei was already fifteen and a half years dead. Itachi just nodded, understanding the gratefulness. He also ignored the way Sasuke twitched at those simple three words that have been repeated so many times in their childhood. Now was not the time to ponder such things. ''We really need your help here, Tsunade-sama. Someone obviously has to be left behind to watch the village and it can't be Kakashi-san since he's going with us. Naruto-kun had insisted on coming as well. You're the only one who can be left here to protect and guide the village should an emergency crises come around while the Hokage is away.''

''I see your point. Doesn't mean I am any less displeased.''

''Rare few are ever pleased with their role in life and the future, yet we still do what we must and humanity still thrives.''

Tsunade shot him a suspicious look, arching a fine blond eyebrow. ''Are you _sure_ you're not some sage o something? There's no way a kid can think like that.''

Itachi snorted. ''I have been complimented many times since young to have the mind worthy of a Hokage. But perhaps I have been a sage in some previous life.''

''Yeah, the Sage of Six Paths.'' Naruto mumbled jokingly to Sasuke, who just shook his head in amusement. Itachi very expertly ignored them and instead focused on the task at hand: convincing Tsunade to act as Hokage for the day while they deal with Shin and the shit he had caused. She was, as was to be expected of someone who had finally shed the robes and the hat, very reluctant about picking it up again. But Itachi was nothing if not persuasive. He hadn't stayed alive as a missing nin on luck and skill alone. As a missing nin, you need alliances. If you can't get allies, you are as good as dead already.

''Will you do it, Tsunade-sama?''

The busty blond woman sighed, feeling exasperated yet resigned. ''Fine, I'll do it. But they better return.'' She threatened, shaking a finger in front of the little ANBU's face. ''I ain't being Hokage again for longer than tomorrow morning. If they don't return, that's the end of the Uchiha Clan and the end of Naruto's not so long reign as Hokage and it will all be your fault.''

Itachi arched an eyebrow at the medic nin. ''I was already responsible for the end of the Uchiha Clan.''

Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi flinched at the deadpan voice he used while Tsunade just frowned at it, not at all liking how easily he brushed aside her threats. She had yet to see anyone other than Uchiha Madara during the Fourth Great Ninja War, let alone a ten year old kid, stay unflinching at her threats. Even the other Kage had flinched under her temper.

''Just make sure they come back.'' Itachi looked over to his brother and to his niece, whose name he had yet even to officially learn, then at Naruto and his son and at Kakashi from this time and Mitsuki. ''All of them.''

The Uchiha prodigy returned his gaze to the Godaime and nodded his head seriously. ''On my life. I will protect them no matter what.'' Tsunade just took a long moment to study those dark, endless eyes before nodding after finding whatever it was that she had been looking for.

''Then go.''

They went.

00000

It was easy to get into the cave undetected thanks to Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique, so they had the element of surprise. Add to that that there were no especially good senors among the clones of the so called Uchiha Shin and the group consisting of three time travelers, one Hokage, two Uchiha, one clone, one Nara, one Hatake and one Sarutobi had an entire minute to get the layout around them. Itachi easily recognized that they were just around the bend where that meteorite was being kept and the glance he exchanged with his fellow genius time travelers told him they had recognized it as well.

The three easily fell into formation, Itachi taking the lead and looking ahead with his Sharingan for any threats, Minato second, a little to his left, senses extended and sharpened, also on the look out for any surprise attacks and Kakashi taking up rear and a little to the right, watching their backs with his now exposed Sharingan eye. Minato easily passed out a single marked kunai to the other two boys so that he could easily come to their aid or teleport them away from trouble should it be needed, he and Kakashi all the while following the hand signals Itachi was giving them.

Had they not been so fascinated with the ease of interaction and seriousness of the older generations, Naruto, Sasuke and even Kakashi would have been affronted that the boys had taken the lead, but they knew they were at a disadvantage here. They didn't know the layout, only Sasuke could see in the dimness of the cave properly and Naruto knew he was having trouble concentrating his senses right, probably because of the big-ass space rock in the middle of the cavern. Kid Kakashi, Itachi and Minato had been here before, Minato was a far better sensor than Naruto was and Itachi and kid Kakashi both had the Sharingan to allow them a wider field of vision. Not to mention all three boys were some of the best damned ninja Konoha had ever produced and were the greatest geniuses of the ninja world. They had the best chances of making a plan under these circumstances.

Mitsuki, Boruto and Sarada jut watched in amazement at the easy professionalism and teamwork between the three, the two should be older males easily differentiating to Itachi's orders as the person with the highest rank. All three were calm, their faces blank of any emotion, no hesitation but a lot of calculation in their eyes. These three boys were from three completely different times, never having met each other at this age, two of them never even working together and one not knowing the other two at that age at all, yet they took it all in stride with calm heads and minds focused on the mission. They worked together seamlessly, no friction in their team, understanding each other perfectly with glances or simple nods and minuscule gestures. It is a type of teamwork only those who truly appreciate its uses and productivity can achieve and it is a type of teamwork young genin must learn immediately.

''The clones all seem to have Sharingan and a good third of them at the very least has Mangekyo Sharingan as well. They can act as a unit and individually and each carries a scroll with their specific weapon of choice.'' Itachi instructed in a whisper, perfectly pronounced despite the low volume and the others didn't have to strain to understand his words.

''One fourth of them is build for speed, the other two for strength and the last one is for jutsus, if I am reading their chakra types correctly.'' Minato said in the same type of whisper, his eyes closed, mind completely focused on his senses. ''There are five close to us, seventeen guard the meteor, twenty guard the right wing, twenty five the left wing and fifteen guard what appears to be a library, if I am sensing the jutsu scrolls correctly.''

''Judging from what I can hear,'' Kakashi said in the same whisper as the other two, his normal eye closed and only his Sharingan open. Everyone knew that most of Kakashi's senses were as sharp as a dogs. "They are restless, fidgeting, looking around."

"They are expecting us." Sasuke stated in a tone that one would usually use to curse someone's existence.

The older Kakashi nodded, never taking off his own eyes from the proceedings. He no longer had the Sharingan but he still had rather good eyesight and his senses have not dulled with time. He wasn't the best sensor, but his other senses more than made up for it. He could follow what was going on behind their hiding spot with minimal difficulties. And his analytical mind still worked as marvelously as it used to. ''They probably know that we will come for the meteorite and are ready to defend it.''

''Unfortunately, you are wrong, Kakashi-senpai. This has nothing to do with the meteorite, but rather something much closer to us.'' Said man blinked at the back of Itachi's head, the ten year old Uchiha never looking back at him. ''I'd even say it was personal. The meteorite is just a means to an end and they are guarding it so we cannot leave.''

''You're saying he wants something from you guys?'' Naruto asked almost incredulously while Kakashi continued staring at the ANBU dressed child.

''Usuratonkachi, did you forget all that we've learned about Shin?'' An annoyed Sasuke asked. ''He hates me for whatever reason, thinks I'm unworthy of the Uchiha name and that I have soiled our honor or something. This is obviously an attempt to hurt me with bringing my Nii-san and using him against me.''

''Modesty, thy name is Uchiha.'' Itachi sarcastically grumbled and Minato and Kakashi snickered, knowing full well that their Uchiha friends were mostly far from humble and modest. It was just simply in their genes. ''No, it's got nothing to do with that, although there may be a revenge plot in there somewhere along the way.''

''You're saying that it's not the main reason you three were brought here.'' Shikamaru easily concluded, studying the three geniuses critically. ''That you were just a by product of some random jutsu?''

''Wrong again. Well, in my case, anyway.'' Itachi replied, counting the heads, the number of steps they took to complete a round and the time they needed, storing all that information into the back of his head, his old ANBU habits taking over. ''Minato-sama and Kakashi-san obviously weren't expected, if the reaction they received was anything to judge on.''

''But not you. You were expected.'' The Nara continued his little interrogation, stepping closer to Itachi. ''You were even _planned_ for, is that it?''

''Precisely.''

''What makes you think that?'' Konohamaru questioned, finally joining in on the conversation. His team was wisely quiet and let the adults and should-be-adults talk.

''Other than the way Shin stared at me almost as though I were a thing of worship and pray?'' Itachi asked sarcastically in a tone that suggested he would have rolled his eyes and snorted at the notion. ''Nothing much other than the fact that there was one spare Akatsuki cloak nearby. In fact, it's still there. See?'' He pointed across the room to what looked like a sorts of work station where, even in the dimness of the cave, they could all make out the all too familiar (to Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru and to a degree Konohamaru) black cloak decorated with red clouds. Sasuke stared at it a bit more intensely than the others and his eyes widened a bit.

''Is that _Itachi's_ cloak?'' Came the ridiculous and very much incredulous realization from one Uchiha Sasuke, remembering every tear, smudge and singe of the cloth his brother had spent half of his life wearing. After all, most of the damage came from their battle and Sasuke had all but wrapped himself in the thing while he was recovering from his eye transplant, locked away from the world in that damned cave and finally given the proper opportunity to grieve. Of course, he was moved at one point and he had realized too late that he had left the cloak in the old hideout. He had thought it destroyed. He was mystefied to find it again here of all places.

Itachi, on the other hand, could only smile, a suspicion forming in his mind about the cloak's continued survival. _'Kisame must have went back for it.'_ The older man had always been fond of Itachi and had considered the Uchiha one of the closest friends he had ever had in his life. He hadn't protested Itachi's intentions to fight Sasuke or not to get treated out of respect to his partner, but the Kiri nin had never hidden that he had wished he would just ignore his brother and take care of himself instead. He had gone out of his way to make sure Itachi was always comfortable and got the minimal amount of rest and sleep needed for a sick person on his bad days. He had taken care of Itachi as though he were something precious for years and they had trusted and respected each other above all else. Kisame had meant his words when he said he was sad they were parting ways the way they were when Itachi left to fight Sasuke.

(And they had quite a few conversations about each other's suicidal behaviors _later_ , but that is a discussion for another time.)

''So they wanted Itachi? Why?'' Minato asked, a confused frown on his face. Sasuke pursed his lips.

''Revenge for taking out the Uchiha Clan?''

''What?!'' An incredulous and horrified Sarada shrieked before any of them could stop her and Itachi cursed when he saw more than one head snap in their direction.

''Wonderful.'' The should be eldest Uchiha said sarcastically, his body preparing for battle when the clones all started heading in their direction. He quickly pulled out a handful of kunai in one hand and a handful of shuriken in the other, preparing a smoke bomb in his mouth. ''Kakashi-san, Kakashi-senpai, on my mark, create a mist, as thick as possible.'' The two silver haired individuals startled as they were both addressed but understood and nodded, preparing to make hand seals. ''Minato-sama, be prepared to pull me out of there at a second's notice. Naruto-kun, prepare your Rasenshuriken. Minato-sama will teleport you into the middle of the mist to clear it up. Make as big of a hole in the ground as you can. Sasuke, prepare any fire technique you wish. Shikamaru-san, please be ready to bind as many people as you can.'' Itachi left their hiding place with a solemn look on his face. ''I wish we had Tenzou.'' Was the last thing he said before he Shunshined away, easily appearing in the middle of the approaching clones and throwing the smoke bomb onto the ground.

Smoke immediately filled the cave, blinding the clones to Itachi's movements as they were shielding their eyes from the dust and smoke that stung. Taking that as their cue, both Kakashi's started weaving hand signs, channeling their chakra. ''Kirigakure no Jutsu!''

''Will he be able to see in there?'' Young Kakashi asked, already struggling to see through the mist. It had descended in seconds, completely hiding the fighting scene from their sight but the sounds of metal clashing on metal could still be heard. Even Sasuke and Sarada, born Sharingan users, couldn't see what was going on.

The older Kakashi nodded solemnly, remembering his fight with Itachi when they were rushing off to save Gaara all those years ago. ''He is soft-spoken and looks mostly harmless, but Itachi's Sharingan sees more than even the Byakugan. He will easily penetrate through the mist and see his opponents.'' But that was the Itachi who had spent years in a Kiri nin's presence, which had in Kakashi's mind explained Itachi's ability to see through the mist. It wouldn't be too surprising if the partners had practiced to resist certain things the other would use in battle, like a mass-scale genjutsu or a thick fog. This Itachi, though ... This Itaci wasn't even ANBU yet and Kakashi had never used the Kirigakure no Jutsu before in front of the boy, anyway, knowing it could blind his Sharingan.

 _''Kakashi-senpai.''_

It occurred to him, hitting him like a bullet train. Something Itachi used to call him only when they were in ANBU together. But Itachi had yet to join, still hadn't been assigned to Team Ro. Kakashi still wasn't his captain.

 _''Naruto-kun, prepare to use your Rasenshuriken.''_

Itachi had been dead, an Edo Tensei, when he first saw that jutsu.

 _''I wish we had Tenzou.''_

They haven't met yet. At ten, Itachi had never even heard of that name.

 _''Nothing much other than the fact that there was one spare Akatsuki cloak nearby.''_

This Itachi wouldn't know anything about the Akatsuki, as the original group had still been nothing more than a rebellion in Amegakure.

 _''The clones all seem to have Sharingan and a good third of them at the very least has Mangekyo Sharingan as well.''_

Did Itachi always know of the Mangekyo?

 _''I was already responsible for the end of the Uchiha Clan.''_

How hadn't they noticed that?

 _''No offense, but I've known you longer as the loudmouthed, brat that wants to do everything by himself despite having his friends around to help him than I've known you as a Hokage...''_

It was all there. How could they be so blind? How can Itachi continue blindsiding them, over and over again? How are they so stupid as to not expect something like this from the boy? This is _Uchiha Itachi_!

 _'Fifteen years have passed since your death and yet you are still so many steps ahead of us, Itachi.'_

His train of thought was interrupted by the impressed gasps that came from the three genin and he looked up, seeing Itachi had jumped almost completely out of the fog, hovering over it, arms crossed across his chest, shuriken and kunai mixed in his grip, eyes closed. They all watched as his eyes snapped open, the red of those dangerous all-seeing orbs flashing like the glint of a deadly weapon, before he let it rip, kunai and shuriken flying all over the place. Judging from the agonized cries coming from within the fog, Itachi was aiming to maim, not kill, the Uchiha's usual Modus Operandi which didn't surprise Kakashi at all.

''Now!'' Itachi called and Minato immediately called on the marked kunai he had given to Itachi, took hold of Naruto, who was ready with his Rasenshuriken, before teleporting to his side and returning in a flash of yellow to Kakashi's. Naruto was left to slam into the middle of the fogged over area with his jutsu, leaving an enormous hole. He jumped out of the hole, the mist clearing away due to the wind of the Rasenshuriken and finally allowing everyone to see. ''Naruto-kun, Bortuo-kun, Kakashi-san, Kakashi-senpai, Minato-sama, Konohamaru-kun, surround the clones and use Kage Bunshin. Push them all into the hole, quickly, while they are still stunned.''

Seeing how well the fight was going, no one dared protest or hesitate, each taking a side of the big room and creating as many Shadow Clones as they could, pushing at the struggling Shin clones that tried to escape. It took them some time and quite a bit of energy on the part of young Kakashi - due to his Sharingan still being active - and Boruto, but they still made it, managing to push all the albinos into the big hole as they had been instructed. When he deemed it ready, Itachi turned to look at Sasuke and nodded to him. Taking his cue, Sasuke easily formed the seals for a fire jutsu, only to stop when he aimed at the clones and Itachi glared at him.

''I said for you to light up the cave, not light them on fire.'' He chided and Sasuke wasn't sure if he wanted to glare back at his brother or cringe like a reprimanded kid. Still, he knew he would in the end defer to his brother so he didn't try fighting with him and instead redirected the focus of his jutsu, using less chakra so he can slowly breathe out the fire and keep the cave illuminated longer.

Understanding his own earlier order, Shikamaru stepped up, preparing his Kagemane no Jutsu and capturing the clones as soon as there was light. Itachi nodded at them approvingly before gesturing for Sarada and Mitsuki to follow him. After seeing three Hokages deferring to Itachi's orders, the genin didn't have even the beginnings of a protest in mind and just followed'Not all clones were captured by the hole but not many remained and it was clear what Itachi's glance told them to do: hold them off while he searched for the jutsu and a way to reverse it.

''Shannaro!'' The female Uchiha yelled and laid it on heavy for the clones, going straight for the biggest one and taking him down with a single punch. Mitsuki didn't beat around the bush, either, quickly forming hand seals and preforming his first jutsu, too.

''Sen'ei Ranjashu!'' This jutsu allowed him to summon a large amount of snakes that emerge from underground to attack a target, which Shin's clones learned the hard way when aid snakes, all very large and long and white in color, attacked them, near suffocating some of them.

''Raikyū!''

''Fūton: Reppūshō!''

''Chidori!''

''Rasengan!''

Itachi ignored as all the children joined the fight while the adults were left to guard their captives, decapitating one or two opponents of his own as he made his way over to the meteorite. He knew he had no time to study any scrolls, despite his wish to do so throughly, but his analytical skills should be enough to understand the strange chakra coming off of the space rock. He could have sworn the pink chakra jumped out of its source to touch him when Itachi extended his hand and he retreated, not knowing how such foreign chakra might react with his own and not willing to risk his younger self's life. After all, if he died at ten, who will stop the Uchiha coup d'tat or the Edo Tensei during the war?

''So you have come.'' The ten year old Uchiha looked up and to his right, where Shin was now standing, looking at Itachi in a way that made the Uchiha very uncomfortable. It had almost the same rather insane and dark glint as Danzo's eyes had had when Itachi had first joined ANBU. The ANBU boy grit his teeth, letting the tomoe of his Sharingan to spin a lazy circle in warning. Shin chuckled, rising his arms in a placating manner. ''Relax. I mean you no harm, Itachi-dono.''

The ex-Akatsuki tilted his head to the side, surprised by the amount of respect he was being shown. 'Dono' is what samurai refer their master with, the honorific of utmost respect and loyalty. No one even used it anymore, as there were rare few samurai left in this shinobi world.

''Why have you brought us here?''

Shin seemed all too eager to answer him. ''To replenish your glory, Itachi-dono! To make sure you get the respect you deserve! To make everyone pay for forgetting your greatness! I simply wish to honor you and continue your work and wishes.''

For the first time in his life, Itachi didn't resist the urge to facepalm. And what a facepalm it was! Itachi swore everyone heard it. After all, why else would they all suddenly stop fighting just to stare at them?

''My _wishes_ , as you call them, and my work was to keep Sasuke and Konohagakure _safe_. If you really wish to honor them, you will stop this atrocity at once.''

Shin looked shell-shocked and downright heartbroken. Him and all of his clones. Kakashi - the older one - used this opportunity to put his hands together and make a short series of hand seals. ''Hyōrō no Jutsu.'' Ice immediately started forming overhead the hole, trapping the clones inside with the ice thick enough that it would take quite a bit of fire jutsus to free the clones.

''B-but!'' Shin protested and Itachi silenced him with a shake of his head.

''I was always loyal to Konoha and everything I ever did was to protect it and Sasuke, hoping to avoid war and keep those I cared about safe. Unfortunately, not all went according to plan and my best friend, Shisui, died, soon followed by tragedy after tragedy. I was cornered with an impossible choice and I chose as I did. Everything else I have done in my life has only been a by product and I made sure to make the most of it, using everything I could to my advantage so I could keep my precious otouto and the village that I loved so safe. I may have joined the Akatsuki, but I have never stopped being loyal to Konoha. Even after my death, as an Edo Tensei, I worked to protect them, despite long since being labeled a traitor.''

The wannabe Uchiha was quiet for a long while, as was everyone else in the cave. They were just trying to take in Itachi's words, most of them not even fully registering in any of their minds, none of them prepared for such a speech. Shin looked devastated before a mad glint suddenly entered his eyes and he lunged for Itachi, seemingly trying to get a hold of the Uchiha's slim waist. The expression on his face was so savage that Itachi didn't even think about kicking him in th face with his foot as he propelled himself away from the albino man. A sickening crunch seemed to echo around the cave as Shin stumbled backwards, a hand coming up to clutch at his broken and bleeding nose. He stared down at it incredulously before looking back up at the ANBU, who had taken out his katana and was ready to fight, already in the customary stance he had always used with a sword.

The maniacal glint of Shin's eyes was even present in his tone of voice as he once again addressed Itachi. ''Not to worry, Itachi-dono. I know what is happening.'' Said Uchiha just arched an eyebrow, not saying anything. Shin took this as invitation to continue talking. ''I know what happened. You are young and you are inexperienced. This you has not yet been betrayed by Konoha or _Sasuke_ ,'' The name was spat out like poison and said man glared. ''So you had trusted them and they tricked you, somehow controlling your mind, no doubt thanks to those sick Yamanaka people.. They are controlling you even as we speak, just so you would think you don't want to take vengeance against them. Because they fear you. They fer your greatness and power, Itachi-dono.'' Shin had a grin on his face that was supposed to be understanding and reassuring but was instead just plain right deranged. ''I understand, Itachi-dono. I do. And do not worry. I will find a way to break their hold on you and then you will be back to your old self.''

Otachi glared at the albino clone, eyes flashing dangerously. ''My old self would have been tempted to let Kisame deal with you how he saw fit for insulting me. My partner was always a tad overprotective of me and tended to shred people to pieces whenever they insulted me as much as you have.''

Shin looked startled again. ''What do you mean?''

''I _mean_ that no Yamanaka had ever been able to _enter_ my mind, let alone _fiddle_ around with it.'' The affronted Uchiha hissed angrily. Itachi was by no means a prideful person but he had always been rather proud of his ability to stay uncompromised, emotionally, mentally, physically or otherwise. The T&I department always had a field day when he returned from his ANBU missions since they couldn't make him break or crack to make sure he wasn't making the information up, no matter what skills or instruments or techniques they used. Kind of why the reason they rarely let him go off on lone ANBU missions, despite how good he was. They simply had nothing to reference his answers and reports with. ''Not only have you implied me weak willed, but also weak-minded and unintelligent. As if I would allow myself to be deceived. I am the _best_ deceiver in the world! I know how to avoid something similar from happening to me!'' He continued incredulously. ''No one can weave a genjutsu like me. Do you honestly think someone can _lie_ to me? Not only that, but even if I _was_ somehow fooled, I would have realized something was wrong as soon as a _Yamanaka_ was brought before me! I would have known something was wrong and I would have fought back! Are you implying that I wouldn't be able to _escape_? Especially with how _lacking_ the ninja of today are? I sat on a rooftop _without_ a genjutsu hiding me, unnoticed by even the _ANBU_ for an entire _afternoon_! I am greatly insulted.''

''My apologies, I meant no disrespect!'' Shin tried to apologize, but Itachi just glared him into submission.

''Not only that, but you assume that I would actually believe this bogus story of yours. As if anyone had ever managed to fool me. I escaped _Edo Tesnsei_! No one has ever managed that before. And you keep on disrespecting me, looking at me hopefully that I will change my mind and join your side. Do you honestly believe my loyalties to be so fickle?''

''You killed your own clan.'' Sarada sneered at her uncle, only to flinch back and yelp in fear when a murderous Sasuke glared at her now that he was no longer busy breathing fire so there would be light for Shikamaru's technique. Said man and Konohamaru were fidgeting uncomfortably while young Kakashi and Minato were watching in fascination. Boruto and Mitsuki didn't really know what to think, Mitsuki had, of course, heard about the massacre from Orochimaru, the man having once been twice as obsessed with Itachi as his Sharingan-bearing creation. Traces of that old obsession could still at times be felt. Kind of the reason why Mitsuki had wanted to write about Itachi. Uchiha Itachi boggled his mind and fascinated him. It seemed to be a common trait of all of Orochimaru's creations.

Sarada's statement gave Shin a new surge of determination to get Itachi to his side and he mentally sent an order to his clones to attack Sarada, the Uchiha's niece. If he was going to preach about his loyalty, then he will test it and bring Itachi to his side through blackmail.

As if reading his thoughts, Itachi's eyes swirled and suddenly a three-bladed windmill replaced the ordinary tomoe before a giant skeletal arm shot out, a red hand wrapping around Sarada just before a metal chain could wrap around the girl. Sasuke's and Naruto's jaws promptly fell to the ground, having not yet realized - how, the grown up Kakashi will never understand as the talk they just had was not a talk a ten year old Itachi could ever have - while the three genin and the other two time travelers gaped in awe of the Susanoo. Rather than waste all the Shins' eyes on him, he let his Mangekyo pattern spin one lazy circle which was enough warning for young Kakashi to cover the other kids' eyes and the Konoha adult ninja to look away just before the deadly genjutsu was cast.

''Tsukuyomi.''

00000

''Well,'' young Kakashi commented when all the Shin fell to the ground in a comatose state. ''That was easy.'' He looked towards the giant spectral form of the Susanoo and then back at Itachi. ''You have got to teach me that.''

''You'll need another Sharingan for that.'' Itachi immediately replied, turning now to look at the scrolls strewn across the work station. The older Kakashi came to join him, looking down at his former ANBU collage.

''You remember everything.'' He stated and Itachi looked up from his work as his Susanoo faded out of existence.

''But of course. It's death, not amnesia.''

Kakashi frowned at that, looking over to Minato, who was directing the others to tie up the remaining Shin clones in case they suddenly woke up, ignoring Sasuke's reassurances that they won't be waking up anytime soon. ''Then what about Minato-sensei?''

Itachi shook his head, quickly scanning over everything on the desk and easily finding the important scroll. He looked up to the big gap in the ceiling and determined they have jut a few more minutes before they must preform the technique that will return them to their respectful times. ''Neither of them remembers. Yes, you are not dead, but still.'' Itachi said before Kakashi could interrupt him with a technicality. ''I remember because I used to preform a jutsu as a kid to try and summon Obito's 'ghost' to tr and talk to him. Of course, since he wasn't dead, it never worked but I did summon every other ghost in the graveyard. When I preformed it a few hours ago, wanting to get all the details that would make this situation easier to understand and deal with, I summoned my own spirit as well and I made a pack with my younger self that I will return him and his two traveling companions back to their times. I just hadn't realized how far away this cave was and that time has almost run out. I need to find the solution to our return.''

''So this is your dead soul in your younger self's body?'' Kakashi asked, only half surprised. ''I must say I am impressed, Itachi.''

The Uchiha smirked up at his once captain. ''Do you doubt me, senpai?''

A smirk that was half amused and half fond tugged at the Hatake's lips behind his mask. ''Not at all, kohai.'' They shared a look that held an entire conversation which will forever remain hidden, Kakashi unwilling to share it with anyone, this last moment with his kohai, and Itachi about to once again take it to the grave with himself within minutes. ''Can I help?''

Itachi shook his head no. ''You've already helped a great deal, Kakashi-senpai. I could not ask for more, except that you find your own happiness.''

''Not even to look after your little family?'' The Rokudaime asked with an arched eyebrow and they both looked over their shoulders to see Sasuke explaining Itachi's story to the three genin, Minato and the young Kakashi shamelessly listening in even as they helped tie up the last of the clones. Actually, everyone was listening in, even Naruto, as he only knew what Obito as 'Madara' had told him. No one knew Itachi's full life story other than Sasuke, as Itachi had shown it to him before returning to the afterlife.

Itachi just looked at them for a long moment before a bittersweet smile tugged at his lips. ''I think they will manage on their own just fine.''

Kakashi conceded with a nod, returning his eyes to the ten year old ANBU dressed boy. ''Go easy on me when you join Team Ro, okay?'' The masked man teased and Itachi chuckled, nodding along. ''It was a pleasure talking to you one last time, Itachi.''

Itachi looked up one last time to his captain, an understanding glint in his eyes when he saw the turmoil in Kakashi's. It was obvious the man had never quite forgiven himself for never noticing Itachi's plight in life and now mourned his death despite there being eight years in which he had taught himself to hate his once teammate.

''You never actually know, Kakashi-senpai. We might talk again. After all,'' he looked away, found the jutsu he will need and made his way over to the meteorite. As they saw him moving towards the space rock out of their peripheral vision, Minato and the younger Kakashi realized it was the time to go and walked over as well. ''I've been brought back twice. And what happens twice is pound to happen a third time as well.''

Kakashi smiled at Itachi's back. ''I look forward to our next meeting, then.''

''You're leaving already?'' A somewhat disappointed Boruto asked. He had never gotten a chance to fight Itachi while having brief fighting matches with Kakashi and Minato during their little battle in Konoha's streets. He felt cheated.

''It's time for them to go.'' Naruto gently replied, looking at the three boys, two of whom were dead already and will be greatly missed when they leave. Maybe it was time for him to erect a monument for Itachi and name it the monument of an unknown hero? Itachi deserved that much at least.

''It was an honor meeting you.'' Mitsuki replied with a bow that Konohamaru and Shikamaru echoed. Sasuke was staring at his brother like his world was falling apart again, for the fourth time. Itachi just smiled at his otouto.

''Remember, Sasuke, that I am proud of you and my last words still stand. No matter what you do, I will love you always.''

''Naruto, I am honored I will one day get a son like you. I am going to be such a proud and doting father that you'll get sick of me!'' The little blond replied and tears threatened to spring to Naruto's eyes. ''And Boruto, I wish we had more time but I can already tell I will be proud of you, too. Just brush up on your ninja skills a little, okay?'' It was a tease and everyone knew and Boruto tried to be angry with it but even he had tears in his eyes.

''I can't believe they let me be a sensei,'' young Kakashi began, studying Naruto and Sasuke. ''But I guess I did good.'' He looked at his own older self and arched an eyebrow at the Rokudaime Hokage. ''I guess I am kind of impatient to grow up into you.''

''One step at a time, kid.'' Kakashi said with a smile hidden behind his face mask. ''Look after my kohais first, okay?'' Although he was confused, the boy Hatake still nodded, seeing the way his older self's eyes darted over to Itachi and figuring this was not the last he will see of the dark haired genius.

Said genius was looking at the frowning Sarada, as she, shell-shocked, stared at the ground, not believing one of her so much loved Kohage could allow such a tragedy to take place right under his nose. ''Sarada, I know you don't know me and I know this truth does not leave you with a very good opinion of me, but know only this and believe it, if nothing else. Our clan, despite any crimes they might have committed, was one of love and one you should be proud of. So embrace that love rather than resentment and hatred. It is up to you to redeem us and I have no doubt you will honor the Uchiha name.'' A sad smile settled on his lips as he turned around to face the space rock. ''I know you will make us all proud. And remember, my foolish little niece.'' Said kunoichi started at the affectionate way she was addressed while Sasuke actually had to bite back tear this time around, almost failing. ''We will always be watching you, protecting you and supporting you from the heavens.''

''Oji-san!'' A tearful Sarada called out almost desperately, not wanting her uncle to leave thinking she hated him. Not after what she had just learned.

But Itachi was no longer listening, one hand reaching for both boys on his sides. Minato had his right hand joined with his and Kakashi had his left hand joined with his other, their free hands touching the stone surface of the meteorite that was now glowing even more strongly as moonlight washed over it from the full, Wolf's Moon. The pink chakra reached out for them and Itachi activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, preparing to use the Tsukuyomi to put the chakra into submission should the need arise but it didn't seem that there would be any need.

The three boy geniuses nodded to each other before they started making hand seals with each other in perfect sync, their own chakra molding with the pink chakra, finders intertwined as they effortlessly shifted through hand seals until the jutsu was complete.

''Sanshoku no Jutsu!'' They exclaimed together as a blinding light filled the cave and, similar to how they have arrived in the future, they were gone, pulled through the opened window in time. By the time the flash died down and the rest of the occupants of the cave could see again, the three boys were gone, nothing to suggest that they had ever even been there in the first place.

A heavy silence settled in the cave as they all stood there, watching the spot where the boys had disappeared from. Then, without further ado, Sasuke activated his own Mangekyo Sharingan and set the space rock aflame with the black fires of Amaterasu, letting the flames destroy the meteorite.

00000

''They did their assignments rather well, don't you think?'' Naruto asked Konohmaru with a sad grin, reading over Sarada's paper once again. It would be the fifth time he read all three reports Sarada, Boruto and Mitsuki had brought in and Konohamaru would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed with the research they had done.

Said jonin snorted good naturally. ''With whom they picked to write about, it couldn't have gone bad even if they'd just written one sentence.''

The blond nodded in agreement, putting down the report about Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage down beside the other two. In the middle of his desk sat the report about Uchiha Itachi, the youngest ANBU to grace the organization with his genius in the shinobi world, to the left was his father and to the right was the report on Hatake Kakashi, the hero of the Fourth Shinobi War. All in all, the reports were very impressive, done in great detail and with much care. The three genin had not dared mess it up after meeting the ten year old versions of the shinobi they had picked.

In the end, despite Boruto and Sarada trying to wrestle Mitsuki for it, the little snake shinobi had manged to win the rights to writing his report about Itachi like he had originally wanted to. Sasuke had had no grievances to tell Mitsuki everything about Itachi and so, for the first time, the story of Uchiha Itachi was written down for future generations to one day discover and read. The other two members of Team Konohamaru had gladly sat in and listened to Sasuke as he talked about his beloved older brother and they had all been left awed with Itachi's accomplishments, official and unofficial. Kakashi had been glad to share his won opinions of the man, as had Tenzou and even Orochimaru, though it had been over the phone for the Sannin. Even Anko joined in to emphasize Itachi's love for dango and Mitsuki had even hunted down the only two teammates of Itachi's from his genin days that were still alive. Sasuke even led the kids to Nekobaa, who was now bedridden most of the time due to her old age, so she and her cats can also tell the story of Itachi. Nekomata sure did intimidate the kids at first but they grew to like him.

Sarada decided to stick to her plan to write about a Hokage since she couldn't write about her uncle and she decided on writing about Namikaze Minato, getting into a fistfight with Boruto that she won thanks to her Sharingan and superior strength. Boruto had been left pouting but he had accepted that he had lost. This time. Sarada had asked Naruto and, through him, Kurama about the famous Yondaime Hokage before she had went around and asked people of his generation and older about the Yellow Flash. Kakashi was the last close to Minato left that could really tell them embarrassing stories about the Namikaze and Naruto had sat in on those stories, too, missing the father he had talked to only three times in his life.

For Kakashi, Boruto had started off by asking all three of his former students about their opinions of their sense before moving on to Tenzou and Gai, then Kurenai and Anko and so on until half of the village was interviewed. He then asked the man himself, buying Kakashi strange limited edition Icha Icha things and bribing him with them. He had a hell of a time getting Kakashi to meet him on time but he soon learned it had become a habit after Kakashi spent years honoring Obito's memory that way. He then tried sneaking into the ANBU headquarters to get the list of all of his missions, only to be easily caught - while they will never be able to find and capture Itachi, even as a ten year old kid in a whole new version of Konoha he didn't yet know all that well, Boruto was easy prey - by the ANBU operatives there. Still, when they heard why and what he was there for, they gleefully told him stories about how the legendary Copy Nin floundered about, especially with Tenzou and Itachi on his team. That had brought in quite a few interesting stories. Kakashi had not been happy but had allowed it.

Really, the reports were incredibly well done and the experience had brought the new Team 7 even closer together than they had ever been before. It had also broadened their perception and they now looked at all the shinobi trying to see their potential to be as great as the three ninja they had written about. The experience had been educational for Naruto as well. Although they might be at peace, there were still nukenin everywhere and it was obvious Konoha wasn't as protected and secured as it should be if three ten year old kids were able to avoid detection for almost two full days while making a ruckus on the streets. He had stepped up the guard and the training for said guard while the rest of the genin had seen Sarada, Boruto and Mitsuki training until they were bone tired and then training some more so they could become at least a little like their new idols. Sarada was working hard to further develop her Sharingan and Boruto was working on his Rasengan even more than ever before while Mitsuki taught himself more and more jutsus by the day.

It will take a long time but they will maybe one day catch up to the three geniuses that had visited them so unexpectedly. Their determination to get stronger had at least spurred the rest of Konoha's ninja to get a bit more serious with their own training, too, so that was always a plus.

''What's that, Naruto-nii-chan?'' Konohamaru asked, pointing to a stack of papers at the edge of Naruto's desk and effectively breaking the Hokage out of his train of thought. He looked over to the above mentioned pile and a smile spread across his face.

''Ah, that! I was thinking to make a monument for our young visitors. I figured it was time Itachi got one for everything that he has done for Konoha and Kakashi-sensei deserves one as well. Tou-chan, too, as the only monument he got in his name was his face in the Hokage mountain but that is for every Hokage. Sacrificing his life in order to seal Kurama should have gotten him a bit more recognition, if you ask me.''

''So these are the plans?'' The brunet asked, picking up the papers and looking through them. The design of the statue immediately drew a smile to his lips and he gave an approving nod. After all, a harbor with a scarecrow in the middle and a weasel on its shoulder was more than fitting. It left the three shinobi it was being erected for a mystery and yet it honored them perfectly. The fact that the weasel had a small uchiwa fan in its paws was just plain cute. ''What do you plan to call it? Where is it going to be?''

''The center square of Konoha, where everyone can see it. It's only fitting that their glory is hidden in plain sight.'' The Jinchuuriki replied, gazing fondly at the plans. ''And I think we should name it simply _Three_.''

'' _Three_. After the three geniuses that have made Konoha a better place.'' Konohamaru mused, a small smile coming to his lips. ''Very fitting.''

Naruto grinned at his old friend. ''Very fitting indeed.''

OWARI


End file.
